Course of the disease
Corneal dystrophy is a progressive disease, i.e. its severity increases in the course of time. Some forms do not cause any symptoms for the patients and therefore do not have life-threatening effects. Other forms only lead to symptoms at a very late stage, which only worsen a little. The severe forms of corneal dystrophies lead to deterioration of vision and eye pain at a very early stage. Often, these often lead to symptomatic phases that last for years, so that in the end only a corneal transplant can help to prevent blindness.
Prognosis
Corneal dystrophy is not a life-threatening disease. In many patients it does not lead to any restrictions in their daily life. Complications can be reduced by early diagnosis and treatment.
Only in rare cases is there a severe impairment of everyday life due to deterioration of vision. In such cases, however, a corneal transplant can in most cases lead to a cure.