Corneal and External Disease

Our expert medical and surgical specialists treat disorders affecting the surface of the eye.

Corneal and External Disease

Our expert medical and surgical specialists treat disorders affecting the surface of the eye.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Corneal and External Disease

The cornea is the clear tissue in the front of the eye that provides approximately two-thirds of the focusing power of the eye. It plays an important role in focusing light onto the retina, which gives you clear vision. When this delicate tissue is damaged, it can lead to pain and blurry vision. Other parts of the eye surface can also be affected by disease, like the conjunctiva (covers the front surface of the eye, except for the cornea) and sclera (the tissue that forms the “white” of the eye). These parts can be affected by infections, injuries, allergies, autoimmune disorders or hereditary factors. They impact your quality of life, causing discomfort, vision damage and, in severe cases, vision loss.

What Are Corneal and External Diseases?

Corneal and external diseases are eye conditions that affect the cornea and other areas of the eye. They can lead to vision changes, pain, sensitivity to light and eye redness and irritation. We treat all types of conditions, including:

Corneal Conditions We Treat:

  • Bullous keratopathy
  • Corneal astigmatism
  • Corneal dystrophies
  • Corneal infection (keratitis)
  • Corneal scarring
  • Corneal ulcer

Conjunctival Conditions We Treat:

  • Chalazion/sty
  • Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

Other Eye Conditions We Treat:

  • Blepharitis
  • Cataracts
  • Dry eye
  • Fuchs endothelial dystrophy
  • Herpes infections
  • Keratoconus
  • Pterygium

Corneal and External Disease Diagnosis and Treatments We Offer

We offer the most advanced technology in the diagnosis of corneal diseases, such as:

  • Computerized corneal modeling technology to corneal topography
  • Corneal and anterior segment optical coherent tomography imaging
  • Microbiological studies
  • Wavefront analyzers

Medical treatments for corneal diseases can include lifestyle changes, such as eliminating allergens and using visual aids and medications. We are proud to be at the forefront of innovative surgical treatments, including corneal transplant and Prosthetic Replacement of the Ocular Surface Ecosystem (PROSE) treatment.

Medical procedures we offer include:

Surgical procedures we offer include:

Expert Care for Corneal and External Diseases

Our USC Roski Eye Institute corneal surgeons were part of the original prospective, large-study protocol for the first lamellar surgeries performed in the United States.

Our clinicians participate in the National Institutes of Health–sponsored clinical trial studies of the most state-of-the-art corneal treatments.

Our nationally renowned experts specialize in common and complex conditions, including corneal and external diseases, eye cancer and more.

We develop a treatment plan personalized to you and your needs.

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