Corneal blindness and current major treatment concern-graft scarcity

International Journal of Ophthalmology

Alvin L. Young¹  Kah Hie Wong²  Li Jia Chen²  Ka Wai Kam³ 

[1] Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China;Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Prince of Wales Hospital, Hong Kong, China;

关键词: 1162;    corneal blindness;    keratoplasty;    corneal graft;    corneal donation;    eye banking;   

DOI  :  10.18240/ijo.2017.07.21

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

According to World Health Organization, the global prevalence of blindness in 2010 was 39 million people, among which 4% were due to corneal opacities. Often, the sole resort for visual restoration of patients with damaged corneas is corneal transplantation. However, despite rapid developments of surgical techniques, instrumentations and immunosuppressive agents, corneal blindness remains a prevalent global health issue. This is largely due to the scarcity of good quality corneal grafts. In this review, the causes of corneal blindness, its major treatment options, and the major contributory factors of corneal graft scarcity with potential solutions are discussed.

【 授权许可】

Unknown