Thygesons Superficial Punctate Keratopathy

Background to Thygeson’s Superficial Punctate Keratopathy (TSPK)

The Journal of the American Medical Association (AMA) published an article about Thygeson’s Superficial Punctate Keratopathy (TSPK) in 1950. The disease is named after the author of that article, Phillips Thygeson.  TPSK is an eye ailment that may affect one or both eyes in an individual.

Sufferers of TSPK, also known as Thygeson’s Superficial Punctate Keratitis, Thygeson’s Disease or Thygeson’s Syndrome, report blurred vision, describe a feeling that something is lodged in their eye, and that their eyes feel very dry.  This may be the first symptoms that appear to TSPK patients. Some patients say their eyes hurt when exposed to bright light, notice that their eyes water and may even experience a burning feeling in one or both eyes.

Medical personnel can use a slit lamp to perform a detailed inspection of the eye.  A slit lamp focuses a strand of light directly into an eye and is used with a biomicroscope to examine all components of an eye. This type of scrutiny can reveal the presence of very small lumps on the cornea that can be readily identified after treating the eye with Fluorescein dye drops. The symptoms for TSPK can be more aggressive in some patients and less severe in others.  This is a disease that often seems to be in remission and yet reappears in just months or sometimes years after it appears to have vanished.

What causes Thygeson’s Superficial Punctate Keratopathy is still not defined.  There are treatments that work to varying degrees with patients.  It is true that symptoms have stopped completely in some people who had no medical treatments at all.  Most medical authorities agree that treatment of symptoms may speed healing of the eye and substantially reduces the chance of remission.

Treatments include laser surgery on the eye, ointments, and low dose eye-drops using Prednisone, Loteprednol or Rimexolone, which are all steroid-based drops. There is an experimental TSPK procedure using Cyclosporin that is typically employed during transplant surgery.

When a person experiences any type of unusual problems with their eyes it is very important to seek competent medical attention immediately to determine if they suffer from Thygesons Superficial Punctate Keratopathy.

Suggested Link: http://www.crstoday.com/PDF%20Articles/0607/CRST0607_PR.pdf

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a Reply

Information, Advice, and eForum on Thygesons SPK, Thygesons Superficial Punctate Keratitis, TSPK ,Thygesons Superficial Punctate Keratopathy Thygesons Disease, or Thygesons Syndrome