EuCornea, is deeply committed to promoting medical education as well as research and development on the various rare diseases that can affect the Cornea. Those include a variety of genetically determined “corneal dystrophies” that can manifest in any decade of life from the very young to very elderly patients, as well as corneal degenerations which can cause curvature abnormalities such as Keratoconus. This latter disease can in particular severely impair vision in paediatric and young adult patients, and can require long-lasting visual support or surgical visual rehabilitation with corneal transplantation.
To highlight the importance and dedication by EuCornea of sharing knowledge about this disease, the second Global Symposium on the Management of Keratoconus has been organised at the 15th Eucornea Congress in Paris involving all the other Continental Cornea Societies (North America, South America, Asia-Pacific) with the aim of diffusing and harmonising patients’ care worldwide.
In addition, other rare diseases such as neurotrophic keratopathy causing severe ulceration of the cornea are currently lacking appropriate therapy in the majority of European countries, deserving special attention and education for ophthalmologists. Networking activities and communication with patients and dedicated patients’ associations is of extreme value in this direction.