Epidemiology of Corneal Dystrophy in Korea.

Jee, Dong Hyun; Lee, Young Dal; Kim, Man Soo

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2003;44(3):581-587.
Published online March 1, 2003.

Epidemiology of Corneal Dystrophy in Korea.

Dong Hyun Jee, Young Dal Lee, Man Soo Kim

¹Department of Ophthalmology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Korea. mskim@cmc.cuk.ac.kr
²Department of Ophthalmology, Daejeon St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Korea.

한국인에서 각막이영증의 역학조사

지동현 ( Dong Hyun Jee ) , 이영달 ( Young Dal Lee ) , 김만수 ( Man Soo Kim )

Abstract

PURPOSE
Information regarding corneal dystrophy among Koreans were examined according to the subtypes. METHODS: Two hundred sixteen patients, 340 eyes, diagnosed as corneal dystrophy and followed by one ophthalmologist from the year 1993 to 2001 were include. The incidence of the disease, the progression level of visual impairment, differences between genders, treatment method, and rate of recurrence after the treatment were analyzed according to the location of the lesion. RESULTS: Granular dystrophy was the most common type (103 eyes, 29.17%). There were 84 eyes (23.61%) with Fuchs dystrophy and 46 eyes (12.96%) with macular dystrophy. Macular dystrophy had the most rapid disease progression with 0.18 reduction in eyesight every year. There was a higher prevelance in female than male granular dystrophy (15.9/84.1%) and in Fuchs dystropy (23.5/76.5%). Keratoplasty was the most popular method of treatment in 45%. CONCLUSIONS: There was no difference of prevalence in between Koreans and Western people. The most common type of corneal dystrophy was granular dystrophy. Infrequent type of dystrophy tended to increase by virtue of the development in diagnotic medicine.

Key Words: Corneal dystrophy;Fuchs dystrophy;Granular dystrophy;Keratoplasty