The cornea is the clear, outer layer on the front of the eyeball. Keratitis is a common disease of the cornea involving inflammation, either ulcerative or non-ulcerative and infectious or non-infectious. IMK is non-ulcerative and non-infectious and the cornea remains intact. In addition to the clinical signs seen commonly with uveitis, IMK can be singled out by a white or bluish cloudy appearance to the surface of theeye.Thisiscornealeye. oedema caused by excess fluid accumulation within the corneal tissue.
Diagnosis of keratitis, of like uveitis, is usually based on clinical signs signs and a thorough eye examination. Again, fluorescein staining may be used to determine if there are ulcers on the cornea.
A swab for culture, scraping for cytology, or biopsy samples may be obtained and sent to a laboratory to identify if bacteria or fungi are present, too. There are several key types…
■ Superficial stromal IMK: This is the most common IMK type (accounting for nearly half of all cases) in which abnormal blood vessels invade the cornea, a condition known as neovascularisation. This contributes to the inf lammatory process and causes a yellow to white corneal opacity.
■ Midstromal IMK: This type makes up nearly a third of cases. There is typically straighter vessel growth, withwith a more opaque cornea compared to superficial stromal IMK.
■ Endothelial IMK: This is a chronic and slowly progressive form that makes up a quarter a of IMK cases. Affected horses have a blue appearance to some or all appearance or all of their cornea, and they may also occasionally have bubbles on the surface that rupture rupture to form corneal ulcers. The innermost layer of the cornea (endothelium) plays a vital role in maintaining the cornea’s hydration balance. Dysfunction of the endothelial cells result in inadequate pumping of fluid out of the cornea and this results in oedema.
Treatment
Treatment for keratitis varies depending on type and cause. Medi
