Keratoconus

Overview

Keratoconus (ker-uh-toe-KOH-nus) occurs when your cornea — the clear, dome-shaped front surface of your eye — thins and gradually bulges outward into a cone shape.

A cone-shaped cornea causes blurred vision and may cause sensitivity to light and glare. Keratoconus usually affects both eyes and generally occurs in people ages 10 to 25. The condition may progress slowly for 10 years or longer.

Vision problems can be corrected with glasses or soft contact lenses early on in the condition. As keratoconus progresses, you may have to be fitted with rigid gas permeable contact lenses or other types of contact lenses. Advanced keratoconus may require a cornea transplant.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for keratoconus

• Experience. Mayo Clinic eye doctors (ophthalmologists) have extensive experience and training in the treatment of cornea diseases, such as keratoconus, and other eye conditions.
• Diagnostic tests. Doctors diagnose keratoconus using advanced diagnostic technology to test your condition. An evaluation may include a test to measure the curve of the cornea (keratometry), computerized corneal mapping and other tests.
• Treatment expertise. Mayo Clinic ophthalmologists have expertise treating keratoconus with many therapies, including rigid gas permeable contact lenses, scleral contact lenses, hybrid lenses, cornea transplant or other options. Treatment depends on the progression of your condition.
• Research. Mayo Clinic doctors conduct research in potential treatments for keratoconus and other eye conditions.

Mayo Clinic: Answers you can trust

At Mayo Clinic, we assemble a team of specialists who take the time to listen and thoroughly understand your health issues and concerns. We tailor the care you receive to your personal health care needs. You can trust our specialists to collaborate and offer you the best possible outcomes, safety and service.

Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical institution that reinvests all earnings into improving medical practice, research and education. We're constantly involved in innovation and medical research, finding solutions to improve your care and quality of life. Your doctor or someone on your medical team is likely involved in research related to your condition.

Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care — and trusted answers — like they've never experienced.

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