While corneal thickness can be a valuable indicator of how the cornea is changing over time, it is affected by multiple factors and is not adequate itself as a screening tool to diagnose Fuchs dystrophy. Treatment
Non-surgical treatments of FECD may be used to treat symptoms of early disease. Medical management includes topical hypertonic saline, the use of a hairdryer to dehydrate the precorneal tear film, and therapeutic soft contact lenses. Hypertonic saline draws water out of the cornea through osmosis. When using a hairdryer, the patient is instructed to hold it at an arms length or directed across the face in a cold setting, to dry out the epithelial blisters. This can be done two or three times a day. Scleral lenses can improve vision when it is affected by irregularities on the surface of the cornea, but may stress the corneal endothelium. Corneal transplantation is the definitive treatment for FECD. The most common types of surgery for FECD are Descemets stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and Descemets membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK), which account for over half of corneal transplants in the United States. Injection of cultured endothelial cells is under investigation and in a series of 11 patients in Japan with bullous keratopathy, was able to clear corneal edema. Epidemiology
Few studies have examined the prevalence of FECD on a large scale.
Results of a large-scale trial published in August 2021 suggest that inhaled budesonide improves the time of recovery and peoples well-being during the recovery process. The recommendation was withdrawn in December 2021 citing the need for more research.Inhalational budesonide was added to the recommended treatment for cases of COVID-19 in India in April 2021. References
External links
"Budesonide". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine. "Budesonide Nasal Spray". MedlinePlus. "Budesonide Oral Inhalation". MedlinePlus.