corneal ectasia


ker·a·to·ec·ta·si·a

(ker'ă-tō-ek-tā'zē-ă), A bulging forward of the cornea. Synonym(s): corneal ectasia, keratectasia

ectasia, corneal

A forward bulging and thinning of the cornea. It may result from a disease of the cornea (e.g. keratoconus), trauma, atrophy, raised intraocular pressure or as a complication of photorefractive surgery in which the corneal stroma has been left thinner than about 250 μm. If uveal tissue is included in the protrusion, the condition is called a staphyloma. If the ectasia is limited to a peripheral part of the cornea, it is called Terrien's disease or Terrien's marginal degeneration. It is due to degeneration of marginal corneal tissue with superficial vascularization and lipid deposition. It affects adult males more commonly than females and the eye has progressive astigmatism, typically against the rule. Therapy includes rigid contact lenses and occasionally keratoplasty. Syn. keratectasia; keratoectasia; kerectasis. See pellucid marginal degeneration; keratoglobus; staphyloma.