A new corneal disease with recurrent erosive episodes and autosomal-dominant inheritance.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to characterize the phenotype in a large family with autosomal-dominant recurrent corneal erosions, and also to exclude genetic linkage to known autosomal-dominant inherited corneal dystrophies with clinical resemblance.


METHODS
We describe the medical history and clinical findings in patients from a six-generation family with recurrent corneal erosions. A total of 28 individuals were evaluated by ophthalmological examination. Genomic DNA was prepared from peripheral blood and analysed with polymorphic microsatellite markers close to known genes causing autosomal-dominant corneal dystrophies.


RESULTS
The patients had erosive symptoms that usually lasted from 1 to 7 days. The symptoms were described as early as at 8 months of age, and by the age of 5 the majority of the affected individuals suffered from recurrent corneal erosions. The attacks generally declined in frequency and intensity with age, and 52% of the patients developed central keloid-like corneal opacities. Nine patients received corneal grafts, and recurrences were seen in all grafts. The affected patients did not share haplotypes for genetic microsatellite markers surrounding known genes causing autosomal-dominant corneal dystrophies.


CONCLUSIONS
We describe a new hereditary disease with recurrent corneal erosions. Attacks of symptoms similar to recurrent erosions dominate the phenotype, but half of those affected also developed corneal, keloid-like, central opacities. This disorder was not genetically linked to any clinically resembling corneal dystrophies with autosomal-dominant inheritance.
Hammar
Björn
B
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden. bjorn.hammar@skane.se
Björck
Erik
E
Lagerstedt
Kristina
K
Dellby
Anette
A
Fagerholm
Per
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D000483:Alleles; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003317:Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D016039:Corneal Transplantation; D005260:Female; D005799:Genes, Dominant; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005819:Genetic Markers; D006239:Haplotypes; D006801:Humans; D007627:Keloid / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010375:Pedigree; D010641:Phenotype; D012008:Recurrence; D055815:Young Adult
D005819:Genetic Markers