Epithelial basement membrane dystrophy

Epithelial basement membrane dystrophy, abbreviated EBMD, is a disorder of the eye that can cause pain and dryness. It is also known as map-dot-fingerprint dystrophy and as Cogan microcystic epithelial dystrophy. It affects the epithelium of the cornea and can lead to recurrent corneal erosions, irregular corneal astigmatism and decreased vision. On slit-lamp examination both eyes typically show grayish fingerprint lines, map-like lines and dots or microcysts, and these findings vary and can change over time. The condition is often without symptoms and may be found only because of subtle marks seen during an eye examination, although up to one in ten patients has recurrent erosions, usually beginning after the age of thirty. It is sometimes grouped with the corneal dystrophies and is then the most common of them, yet it departs from the formal definition because it is non-familial in most cases and follows a fluctuating rather than a progressive course. The main pathological feature is a thickened, multilaminar and disfigured basement membrane of the corneal epithelium. Phototherapeutic keratectomy can restore and preserve useful visual function for a significant period. This entry records what the source states and is not medical advice.