Corneal blindness and current major treatment concern-graft scarcity

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 su...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kah Hie Wong, Ka Wai Kam, Li Jia Chen, Alvin L. Young
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Press of International Journal of Ophthalmology (IJO PRESS) 2017-07-01
Series:International Journal of Ophthalmology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.ijo.cn/en_publish/2017/7/20170721.pdf
Description
Summary: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.
ISSN:2222-3959
2227-4898