Dr Ben Wild
Overview |
The cornea is the outermost layer of the eye in front of the iris. It is a clear tissue, void of any blood vessels, and is one of the main optical components responsible for focusing light on the retina.
Frontal view of a healthy eye.
Thygeson’s superficial punctate keratitis (SPK) is a condition that affects the cornea of each eye. It usually presents in early adulthood but can affect anyone. It is a fairly uncommon condition that does not have a known cause but is believed to be caused by a viral infection or auto-immune reaction. It occurs bilaterally and presents as a recurrent infection that then proceeds into a period of remission.
Frontal view of an eye with Thygeson's SPK (grey dots on cornea).
Signs and Symptoms |
Signs
Grainy appearance to the cornea with white/grey elevated dots in an eye that is not red.
Symptoms
Recurrent irritation, light sensitivity, blurred vision, tearing.
Causes and Risk Factors |
Causes
It is thought to be caused by an unknown virus but this has not been verified.
Risk Factors
Viral infection.
Prevention and Treatment |
Prevention
There are no known preventative measures.
Treatments
· Artificial tears for comfort.
· Bandage contact lens.
· Steroid drops for active infection.
· Cyclosporin drops to lower lengthen remission time.
· Phototherapeutic keratectomy to get rid of scarring.
Prognosis |
Thygeson’s SPK is a condition that can last for 1-2 months followed by a 6-week remission period before returning. In most cases, this condition follows this pattern for 4 years before disappearing for good but some cases have been reported to last over 40 years. It can affect vision but usually is not vision threatening.
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