The cornea is located at the front end of the refractive system of the eye, exposed to the air, often in contact with various pathogenic factors such as fine hair and viruses, and prone to infection and trauma.
After serious infection or trauma, the cornea will form ulcer or damage the deep corneal matrix. After healing, scars with different transparency will be formed according to the depth of the injury. The scars are very deep and porcelain white, and the eyes cannot penetrate the iris, which is called corneal leukoplakia. If the white spot occurs in the pupil area, it will damage the vision.
Types of corneal leukoplakia
Congenital leukoplakia of cornea
Congenital leukoplakia of the cornea refers to the fetal period, which is caused by the failure or delayed separation of the lens bubble from the body surface ectoderm, and can also be caused by the adhesion of the mesoderm pupillary membrane and the cornea.
This kind of white spot often appears in the center of the cornea and sometimes in the periphery. When the baby is born, the corneal stroma will appear thick gray-white opacity.
Infectious leukoplakia of cornea
The essence of infectious corneal leukoplakia is scar healing tissue, which is the scar healing after keratitis caused by various infectious factors (such as bacterial keratitis, fungal keratitis, herpes simplex keratitis, and acanthamoeba keratitis), resulting in turbid cornea, which is porcelain white and cannot penetrate the iris. It is called infectious corneal leukoplakia, which usually causes serious visual impairment.
Traumatic leukoplakia of cornea
After ocular trauma, the cornea is damaged, resulting in the formation of scar tissue after injury, which is called traumatic corneal leukoplakia.
Occurrence mechanism
The essence of corneal orifices is scar healing tissue. Whether it is infectious or traumatic factors, after the pathogenic factors are controlled, the cornea will form ulcer due to injury, and the surrounding corneal tissue will regenerate, repair and heal the ulcer, forming scar.
Corneal pannus
The shallow cicatricial opacity is as thin as cloud. If the iris texture can be clearly seen through the turbid part, it is corneal cloud; The turbidity is thicker and slightly white, but the iris can still be seen through, which is corneal pannus; However, it is very thick, dry porcelain white, unable to penetrate the iris, which is called corneal leukoplakia.
Causes of corneal leukoplakia
Factors causing corneal leukoplakia are divided into congenital and acquired factors. Acquired factors are divided into infectious factors and traumatic factors.
Congenital leukoplakia of the cornea is a fetal lens bubble that is not separated from or delayed from the ectoderm, and can also be caused by the adhesion of the mesoderm pupillary membrane and the cornea.
The infectious factor in acquired causes refers to the corneal damage and ulcer formation after various pathogenic bacteria infect the cornea (such as bacterial keratitis, straight bacterial keratitis, herpes simplex keratitis, acanthamoeba keratitis). When the ulcer is filled and healed by scar tissue, corneal leukoplakia will form.
The traumatic factor in acquired causes refers to the corneal damage caused by ocular trauma, and the formation of corneal leukoplakia after the healing of the injury. Common causes include acid and alkali burns, corneal contusion, ocular trauma, etc.
At the same time, incorrect use of contact lenses, lack of attention to eye hygiene, contact of corneas with pathogens contaminated potions, and laughter from water sources are all susceptible factors of infectious keratitis. Long-term irregular life, staying up late, excessive drinking, etc., lead to decreased immunity and corneal defense, and are also one of the inducements of infectious keratitis.
Instructions for medical treatment of corneal leukoplakia
In addition to congenital factors, corneal leukoplakia is generally caused by infectious factors and traumatic factors. Therefore, in case of keratitis or ocular trauma, we should seek medical treatment as soon as possible to control infection, reduce inflammatory reaction, promote ulcer healing and reduce the formation of corneal leukoplakia. If corneal leukoplakia has formed, we should go to the hospital to further evaluate the indications of corneal transplantation.
○ Children with congenital corneal opacity should be operated within 6 months after birth.
○ Patients with infectious keratitis need to see a doctor in time to control infection, reduce inflammatory reaction, and avoid the formation of corneal leukoplakia due to too deep ulcer.
○ For patients with traumatic corneal injury, if chemical substances enter the eyes, the cloud can quickly remove the injured substances, and use a large amount of water to repeatedly wash the eyes nearby to avoid rubbing the eyes and wiping the eyes with dirty objects. Go to a professional hospital in time for evaluation and treatment.
Treatment of corneal leukoplakia
After the formation of corneal leukoplakia, there is no specific drug that can reduce the area and thickness of the leukoplakia. If the leukoplakia seriously affects the vision, only surgery can be used. Therefore, for the treatment of corneal leukoplakia, generally try to actively treat the symptoms before the formation of leukoplakia to reduce the formation of leukoplakia.
No matter what causes the corneal leukoplakia, if it is located in the periphery and does not affect the vision, it can be ignored to avoid re-trauma or infection; However, if it is located in the pupil area and seriously affects vision, corneal transplantation is required.
Daily routine of corneal leukoplakia
Corneal leukoplakia is a serious complication of keratitis and corneal trauma, which seriously affects vision. After the formation of corneal leukoplakia, only corneal transplantation can be performed for treatment. Therefore, in order to reduce the formation of corneal leukoplakia, attention should be paid to eye hygiene and eye safety in life to reduce the occurrence of inflammation and trauma; After the occurrence of the disease, diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible is the effective way to reduce the formation of corneal leukoplakia.
In the daily diet, it is recommended to eat on time for three meals, light diet, increase the intake of vegetables, fruits and high-quality protein, avoid smoking and alcohol, and enhance the immunity.
Regularly work and rest, eat three meals on time, and avoid fatigue and overeating; Pay attention to the eye guard, especially the use of contact lenses, and pay more attention to the guard during the replacement process and avoid scratching the cornea.
The most frequently asked questions by patients
① Can corneal leukoplakia recover?
The corneal leukoplakia cannot be recovered. Corneal leukoplakia is scar tissue formed after infectious keratopathy or corneal trauma. The disappearance of corneal scar is limited to infants, older children and adults. The scar will not disappear. It is recommended to go to the hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
② Corneal leukoplakia special drug?
After the formation of corneal leukoplakia, vision is seriously affected. At present, there is no specific drug that can reverse this kind of disease. Generally, after the formation of leukoplakia, corneal transplantation is the only way.
③ Can corneal leukoplakia be inherited?
Congenital corneal leukoplakia is caused by abnormal pronunciation of the ectoderm and mesoderm during the embryonic development of the eye, and will not be inherited. Acquired corneal leukoplakia is a serious complication after keratitis or corneal trauma. It is caused by various acquired factors and will not be inherited.
④ Can corneal leukoplakia worsen?
Generally, congenital corneal leukoplakia will not worsen. Acquired corneal leukoplakia is scar tissue that is healed after corneal injury. After scar formation, it will lead to corneal dystrophy, corneal epithelial abrasion will not heal for a long time, and the ulcer formed on the corneal scar is often asymptomatic, so it is also called "cold ulcer" in clinic.