images of pellucid marginal degeneration

Īge groups in the 2nd to 5th decade are usually affected, but isolated reports have been seen even in older individuals. It has been seen to be more common in males and affects all ethnicities with no geographical predisposition. The general consensus is that PMCD is a rare condition. Thus the exact incidence of PMCD is expected to be underestimated. Many authors have proposed that PMCD could be just a peripheral form of keratoconus. Coexistent retinitis pigmentosa, chronic open-angle glaucoma, scleroderma, retinal lattice degeneration, eczema, and hyperthyroidism have been observed in some patients with PMCD, but no direct causative association has been found to be true. Also, floppy eyelid syndrome found in obese patients may lead to chronic mechanical rubbing of the cornea leading to thinning and ectasia.Ītopic and vernal keratoconjunctivitis has been linked in reports to superior PMCD. The repeated occurrence of hypoxic conditions in these patients may be hypothesized to lead to anaerobic glycolysis and stromal acidosis, and in turn, promote transcription of proinflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha or interleukin-6, leading to corneal thinning. Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea have been associated with PMCD in the literature. Similar to keratoconus, electron microscopy of the cornea in PMCD reveals abnormally spaced collagen fibers with a periodicity of 100 nm to 110 nm, as opposed to 60 nm to 64 nm found in normal corneas. The condition is more common in males in their 2nd to 5th decades of life. It is very important to rule out any thinning and ectatic disorders like keratoconus and PMCD before refractive surgery as upon being missed, they can lead to unwanted complications post-operatively. 'Pellucid,' meaning clear, signifies the clarity of the cornea despite the presence of ectasia. The term pellucid marginal degeneration was coined first by Schalaeppi in 1957 as 'la dystrophie marginale inferieure pellucide de la cornee'. The ectatic zone, which is 1-2 mm from the limbus, lies above the point of the maximum corneal thinning. It is characterized by a peripheral crescentic band of thinning, usually in the inferior cornea. Pellucid marginal corneal degeneration (PMCD) is a bilateral, noninflammatory, peripheral corneal thinning disease. Summarize the importance of collaboration and communication amongst the interprofessional team to enhance the care for patients with pellucid marginal corneal degeneration.Outline the treatment modalities for patients with pellucid marginal corneal degeneration.Describe the appropriate evaluation of pellucid marginal corneal degeneration.Explain the etiology of pellucid marginal corneal degeneration.This activity reviews the evaluation and treatment of pellucid marginal corneal degeneration and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in the care of patients with this condition. To avoid ocular morbidity and permanent visual loss associated with this condition, it must be promptly diagnosed and treated. It is a relatively rare ocular condition and usually occurs in males in the 2nd to 5th decades. Pellucid marginal corneal degeneration is a progressive peripheral corneal thinning disorder with an adjoining area of ectasia above it.

Images of pellucid marginal degeneration