A corneal dystrophy is a condition in which one or more parts of the cornea lose their normal clarity due to a buildup of cloudy material. There are over 20 corneal dystrophies that affect all parts of the cornea. These diseases share many traits:

• They are usually inherited.
• They affect the right and left eyes equally.
• They are not caused by outside factors, such as injury or diet.
• Most progress gradually.
• Most usually begin in one of the five corneal layers and may later spread to nearby layers.
• Most do not affect other parts of the body, nor are they related to diseases affecting other parts of the eye or body.
• Most can occur in otherwise totally healthy people.

Corneal dystrophies affect vision in widely differing ways. Some cause severe visual impairment, while a few cause no vision problems and are discovered during a routine eye examination. Other dystrophies may cause repeated episodes of pain without leading to permanent loss of vision.

The treatment for corneal dystrophies is a corneal transplant, using corneal tissue from a human donor through an eye bank or an artificial cornea.