After a customer called to let us know that indoor TheraSpecs have given her great relief from the photophobia and pain associated with a condition called lattice dystrophy, we were curious to learn more about the disorder. Here's what we discovered.

Lattice corneal dystrophy refers to a rare genetic eye disorder that affects the cornea, which is the outer covering of the eye. To see optimally, a person’s cornea must be clear. Lattice corneal dystrophy clouds the vision through protein deposits that branch out in a lattice pattern. It also causes painful erosions on the cornea, which are the source of sensitivity to light. Lattice dystrophy usually occurs in the cornea of both eyes.

Lattice corneal dystrophy is broken down into type I, as described above, and type II, which also includes protein deposits throughout the tissues of the body. Symptoms usually emerge in childhood or adolescence and can lead to vision problems in young adulthood. Both types are genetic, but are caused by different gene mutations. A third type, fittingly called type III, is occasionally distinguished from the other two. It’s onset occurs when a person in at least 70 years old.

Lattice dystrophy treatment can include acute symptomatic treatment of the corneal erosions or through surgery. If someone has frequent corneal erosions or mild visual impairment laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) can be an effective procedure. If someone has substantial vision changes or deep deposits, a corneal transplant is an option. The success rate of corneal transplants is high, but protein deposits can develop on the transplanted corneas as soon as two years following surgery.

REFERENCES

National Institutes of Health: Lattice corneal dystrophy type II. Retrieved on April 7, 2015 from http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lattice-corneal-dystrophy-type-ii.

National Institutes of Health: Lattice corneal dystrophy type II. Retrieved on April 7, 2015 from http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lattice-corneal-dystrophy-type-i.

Medscape: Lattice Corneal Dystrophy. Retrieved on April 7, 2015 from http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1193793-overview.

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man: Corneal Dystrophy. Retrieved on April 7, 2015 from http://www.omim.org/entry/204870.