Pediatric Cornea Clinic

The Pediatric Cornea Clinic at Children’s Hospital Colorado offers comprehensive diagnosis and treatment for children with corneal diseases and disorders.

What is the cornea?

The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped outer layer of the eye. It sits in front of the iris and pupil and protects your eye from infection, debris and helps focus light to see.

Corneal conditions we treat

Our pediatric ophthalmologists (eye specialists) are experts in examining and treating the cornea. We manage the full spectrum of corneal conditions, including:

• Astigmatism: An irregularly, oval shaped cornea that causes blurred vision.
• Corneal dystrophies: Genetic eye diseases that cause changes to the structure and clarity of the cornea. Most corneal dystrophies are genetic and worsen over time.
• Dry eye: Some children’s eyes don’t stay properly lubricated due to the inability to produce enough tears or their tear film may be disrupted due to other causes. Severe cases cause irritation, discomfort and visual problems.
• Injuries: The cornea is very effective in healing itself from small scratches. However, more serious injuries may need treatment by a specialist to prevent permanent damage and vision loss.
• Keratitis: Inflammation and swelling of the cornea. It may be caused by infection, injury or allergies.
• Keratoconus: A progressive condition in which the cornea becomes thinner and more cone shaped. This causes blurred and distorted vision.
• Neurotrophic keratopathy: A degenerative disease that causes impairment to corneal sensitivity and healing.
• Pterygium: Also known as “surfer’s eye” this is a noncancerous, fleshy growth that extends from the conjunctiva (the clear layer covering the white of your eye) onto the cornea.

Treatments for corneal diseases

Our pediatric eye care team offers a wide range of treatments to manage corneal conditions to preserve, restore and maximize vision, including:

• Corneal collagen cross-linking: This procedure prevents keratoconus from worsening. We use a combination of riboflavin eye drops and ultraviolet light to strengthen the chemical bonds in the cornea.
• Glasses or contact lenses: Glasses can help improve vision or protect your child’s eyes. Specialty contact lenses include scleral lenses or other hard lenses to improve vision, and bandage lenses to protect and heal the cornea.
• Medications: Prescription eye drops or oral medications can treat certain corneal conditions and their cause.
• Surgery: Laser surgery and other procedures can alter the shape of the cornea, correct abnormal structures or improve clarity of the cornea.
• Transplant or prostheses: If the cornea can’t be corrected with treatment, your child may be a candidate for a keratoprosthesis (artificial cornea) or corneal transplant. During this procedure, the corneal specialist removes the damaged cornea and replaces it with healthy tissue from a donor.

Why choose us for pediatric cornea care?

When you choose the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology at Children’s Colorado for your child’s cornea care, you’ll find:

• National recognition: We’ve received national recognition as one of the best children’s hospitals, with outstanding physicians, nurses and staff.
• Expertise in pediatric eye conditions: Our corneal specialists have extensive training and experience in all aspects of pediatric corneal disease. We have the expertise and resources to manage even the most complex conditions.
• Focus on children: We recognize children are not just small adults. Our pediatric team tailor care to fit your child’s specific needs. We know how to keep your child’s attention during the exam to provide the most accurate testing. Additionally, we are experts at explaining procedures and results in reassuring ways they can understand, because they are part of the team, too.
• Strategic partnerships: We work closely with the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center at UCHealth to conduct research and improve treatment for complex eye diseases. We also partner with the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank to ensure we have the resources for corneal transplants.

Contact us

You can learn more about our Pediatric Cornea Clinic by calling us at 720-777-2020.