National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Corneal Disorders is the National Eye Institute
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Corneal Disorders
Your cornea is the outermost layer of your eye. It is clear and shaped like a dome. The cornea helps to shield the rest of the eye from germs, dust, and other harmful matter. It also helps your eye to focus. If you wear contact lenses, they float on top of your corneas.
Problems with the cornea include
- Refractive errors
- Allergies
- Infections
- Injuries
- Dystrophies - conditions in which parts of the cornea lose clarity due to a buildup of cloudy material
Treatments of corneal disorders include medicines, corneal transplantation and corneal laser surgery.
NIH National Eye Institute
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Start Here
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Facts about the Cornea and Corneal Disease(National Eye Institute)
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Facts about the Cornea and Corneal Disease
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
,
Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
.
For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
,
Reference Shelf
, and
For You
.
For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Eye Problems(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Vision Symptoms(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
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Treatment
- Corneal Abrasion (Scratch): First Aid(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Corneal Modifications
(American Optometric Association)
- Corneal Transplants(Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Eye Donation and Corneal Transplantation: Frequently Asked Questions(Eye Bank Association of America)
- Treatment Options for Keratoconus(National Keratoconus Foundation)
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Prevention/Screening
- Contact Lens Risks(Food and Drug Administration)
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Specific Conditions
- Acanthamoeba(American Optometric Association)
- Bacterial Keratitis(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Also available in Spanish
- Bullous Keratopathy(Merck & Co., Inc.)
- Corneal Abrasions(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
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Corneal Laceration(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Also available in Spanish
- Fuchs' Dystrophy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Fungal Keratitis(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Herpes Keratitis(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Also available in Spanish
- Keratoconus(American Optometric Association)
- Keratoconus: Frequently Asked Questions(National Keratoconus Foundation)
- Peripheral Ulcerative Keratitis(Merck & Co., Inc.)
- Pinguecula and Pterygium(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Also available in Spanish
- Superficial Punctate Keratitis(Merck & Co., Inc.)
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Related Issues
- Contact Lens-Related Eye Infections(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Also available in Spanish
- Corneal Ulcer(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
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Dry Eye(National Eye Institute)
- Importance of Corneal Thickness(Glaucoma Research Foundation)
- Shingles (and Herpes Zoster Ophthalmicus)(American Academy of Family Physicians)
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Pictures & Photographs
- Corneal Abrasion(Logical Images)
- Corneal Foreign Body(Logical Images)
- Corneal transplant - slideshow
- Also available in Spanish
- Recurrent Corneal Erosion(Logical Images)
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Anatomy/Physiology
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Diagram of the Eye(National Eye Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Diagram of the Eye
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Financial Issues
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Financial Aid for Eye Care(National Eye Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Financial Aid for Eye Care
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Corneal Diseases(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Corneal Diseases
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Genetics
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Genetics Home Reference: Congenital stromal corneal dystrophy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Fuchs endothelial dystrophy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Lattice corneal dystrophy type I(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Lattice corneal dystrophy type II(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Meesmann corneal dystrophy(National Library of Medicine)
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Genetics Home Reference: Congenital stromal corneal dystrophy
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Research
- Corneal Transplant Improves Vision and Daily Life for Some Children(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Glossary of Eye Conditions(American Foundation for the Blind)
- Glossary of Eye-Related Terms(Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Refractive Surgery and Corneal Modification Definitions(American Optometric Association)
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Directories
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Eye Health Organizations Database(National Eye Institute)
- Find an Eye M.D.(American Academy of Ophthalmology)
- Find Services (for People with Vision Loss)(American Foundation for the Blind)
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Finding an Eye Care Professional(National Eye Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
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Eye Health Organizations Database
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Organizations
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Children
- Foreign Bodies in the Eye(Children's Hospital Boston)
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Patient Handouts
- Cloudy cornea
- Also available in Spanish
- Corneal injury
- Also available in Spanish
- Corneal transplant
- Also available in Spanish
- Corneal transplant - discharge
- Also available in Spanish
- Corneal ulcers and infections
- Also available in Spanish
- Fluorescein eye stain
- Also available in Spanish
- Fuchs' dystrophy
- Also available in Spanish
- Interstitial keratitis
- Also available in Spanish
- Keratoconus
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA