Clinical diversity in macular corneal dystrophy: an optical coherence tomography study

Abstract

Purpose

To characterise the corneal deposits of macular corneal dystrophy and correlate with high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Methods

A total of 23 eyes of 15 patients were evaluated for clinical features on slit lamp biomicroscopy, and high-resolution OCT was performed to correlate the clinical findings. The deposits were characterised based upon their location and level in the corneal layers.

Results

Mean age was 31.5 (Range 20–67) years. The stromal deposits were restricted to central 8 mm in 9 eyes; in the rest of the 14 eyes, the deposits were seen in both central and peripheral cornea. In one patient, no such distinction could be made due to diffuse nature of the deposits throughout the cornea with sparing of 1–2 mm of the cornea internal to the limbus. The central deposits were in the anterior stromal layers, while the peripheral deposits were in the deep stromal corneal layers and non-contiguous with the anterior stromal deposits. In one patient aged 67 years, the peripheral deposits in deep corneal layers were more prominent than the central anterior stromal deposits and were associated with a significant thickening of Descemet membrane.

Conclusions

MCD exhibits a clinically diverse presentation as revealed on the clinical and optical coherence tomography study. Immunophenotype and genotype–phenotype correlation may further help in understanding various clinical presentations of MCD.