How should we manage corneal opacity in adolescents moving forward?

Please advise on the cause of my son's corneal opacity, his previous treatments, and how we should manage his condition moving forward.

The part where the illness occurred was not described in detail, but you all overlooked the part that we really thought was nothing special.

I am trying to write in more detail so as not to miss anything.

We had a really hard time because we didn't know what kind of illness this was, how it would progress, or how the treatment would go...

 

Last May, on a Saturday in Jeonju, while I was waking up and eating breakfast, my son's eyes were red and bloodshot.

When I asked since when this has been happening, they said they didn't know.

So, I thought it was epidemic conjunctivitis and went to the local ophthalmology clinic.

The doctor briefly examined the eye with a device and suddenly said, "It looks like there's clouding, so you should go to a large hospital."

You sent it without providing a detailed explanation. Maybe you were too lazy to explain, so you told me to go to a big hospital and listen carefully~

So that day was late, and I went to a hospital in the area where there were about 7 to 8 doctors, and I heard the same thing there: "You should go to a big hospital~ We can't provide treatment here." They also explained things in detail there.

 

 

[Extracted from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency National Health Information Portal]

 

You showed us a picture of your son's eyes, and if the cloudy area is in the white part, there is no problem with seeing.

There isn't a major problem, but my son has a pupil like in the picture above, and I think it will cause significant difficulty in seeing.

They said you should go to a large hospital quickly.

The cause of the illness was an inflammation in the eyelid, but I failed to notice the inflammation carefully and missed the opportunity for treatment.

It spread to the cornea, and he said that there is a simple wound remaining on the corneal area.

He also mentioned that it might be difficult for the cloudiness to disappear and that it is a priority to address it quickly before it worsens.

 

In our urgency, we made reservations at several places, including the renowned ophthalmology departments at St. Mary's Hospital and Severance Ophthalmology Hospital.

Fortunately, I was able to get an appointment at Severance Hospital, which was booked the earliest, two days later.

Started treatment by using eye drops and eye ointment together to prevent it from worsening.

 

 

After the initial consultation, I had a follow-up two weeks later, then gradually extended the intervals to one month and two months.

 

Suddenly, the right side, which was previously cloudy, also started to become red and bloodshot unexpectedly.

I called Severance out of urgency, but immediate treatment is difficult and rescheduling to an earlier appointment is also not possible.

I did. So I looked for a local hospital, and they also said that the clouding symptoms seem to have started in the right eye as well.

You were instructed to prescribe the same medication as before and administer it using the same dosage and method.

I managed to hold on until the Severance appointment with the medication, and when I went, it was correct that the symptoms had also started on the right side.

It was prescribed to administer to both eyes.

When I received treatment a month later, I was told that I was managing well.

You're gradually reducing your medication~~

Reduce from three times a day to twice, then once, and then reduce the eye drops from two to one.

Last year, I was told to apply only ointment twice a day.

Currently, I am only applying two ointments in the evening.

It was quite difficult to apply this ointment by myself, but after using it for over a year, I can now apply it well on my own ^^;;

 

 

 

And I always cleanse my eyelids in the morning and evening~

This seems to be very important because when you go to the ophthalmology clinic, everything is attached outside.

If I do it and you all do it, it will be very good for preventing styes or conjunctivitis^^

Please make sure to do it~

 

A few weeks ago, I underwent a detailed vision test during my first visit at Severance.

 

 

 

It seems I spent almost an hour just on tests because of the numerous examinations.

They said I need to continue treatment until I become an adult, even during the initial consultation.

When checked intermittently, they said the management was good, and fortunately, the turbidity had significantly decreased and disappeared.

I was also looking forward to the point where I wouldn't need to apply ointment anymore.

However, I was disappointed to hear that while the management is going well, I will probably need to keep applying the medication continuously.ㅜ.ㅜ

I'm worried that I might have to keep taking medication until I really become an adult...

People who see him for the first time always ask if he has always been crying to his son.

It seems to be very hurtful to adolescents going through puberty...

 

If anyone around you has gone to a university hospital or received treatment for corneal opacity, please give me some advice^^

I'm relieved that most of the cloudiness has cleared up, but I'm also concerned about how the treatment will proceed from now on.

I'm very curious...

Thank you for reading the long message~