Treatments for<unk>  are predominately off-lab with a multitude of complications as a result. The desired results from medical therapy may not always occur, ergo an invasive procedure may be needed to prevent further decrease in corneal avascularity. For contact lenses related hypoxia, ceasing the use of contact lenses is the first step until<unk>  is addressed by a physician. Modern rigid gas permeable and silicon hydrogel contact lenses have a much higher level of oxygen transmissibility, making them effective alternatives to help prevent<unk> . Topical administration of steroids and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs are first-line treatment for individuals with<unk> . The administration of steroids can increase the risk of infection, glaucoma, cataracts, herpes simplex recurrence. The anti-inflammatory drugs, however, increase the risk of corneal ulceration and melting. Since VEGF plays an important role in vasculogenesis and pathologic<unk>  associated with eye diseases, a potential treatment for<unk>  is to inhibit VEGF activity by competing the binding of VEGF with specific neutralizing anti-VEGF antibody. VEGF inhibitors include pegatanib sodium, ranibizumab, and off-label bevacizumab are currently used for treatment of various retinal disease. Anti-VEGF antibodies such as the application of ranibizumab or bevacizumab have has been shown to reduce<unk> . Both ranibizumab and bevacizumab uses the same mechanism and inhibits all iso-forms of VEGF. The significant reduction in invasion of in-growth blood vessels in terms of neovascular area and vessel caliber suggests that treatment with ranibizumab induces thinning of the blood vessels, however, there's no significant change of the blood vessel's length. Using anti-VEGF antibodies to treat<unk>  has some limitations such as it is not a cure and may require repeated treatments to maintain positive effects over time. Topical and/or subconjunctival administration of bevaicizumab or ranibizumab have demonstrated short-term safety and efficacy, however long term effects have not been documented. Anti-VEGF therapy is currently an experimental treatment. If the cornea is inflamed via<unk> , the suppression of enzymes can block<unk>  by compromising with corneal structural integrity.<unk>  can be suppressed with a combination of orally administration of doxycycline and with topical corticosteroid. Surgical Options Invasive solutions for<unk>  are reserved when the medical therapies do not provide the desired results. Invading blood tissues and ablating tissues in the cornea can be obstructed by the use of laser treatments such as Argon and Nd:YAG lasers. Irradiation and/or damages to adjacent tissues caused by the procedure can result in corneal hemorrhage and corneal thinning. Obstruction of the blood vessels can be unsuccessful due to the depth, size, and, high blood flow rate of the vessels. In conjunction, thermal damage from the lasers can trigger inflammatory response which can exaggerate the<unk> . An effective treatment is photodynamic therapy, however, this treatment has limited clinical acceptance due to high costs and many potential complications involved that are also related to laser ablation. Complications can include irradiation from previously injected photosensitive dye inducing apoptosis and necrosis of the endothelium and basement membrane. Diathermy and cautery is a treatment where an electrolysis needle is inserted into the feeder vessels in the limbus. The vessels are obstructed by a coagulating current through the use of unipolar diathermy unit or by thermal cautery.
Corneal neovascularization
Macular corneal dystrophy
Granular corneal dystrophy
Corneal hydrops
Macular edema
Macular scarring
Lattice corneal dystrophy
Interstitial keratitis