Abstract:

Corneal ectasias including keratoconus, post-LASIK keratectasia, pellucid marginal degeneration, Terrien's marginal degeneration and keratoglobus are a group of disorders in which refractive instability occurring with progressive structural deformation of corneal shape. As valuable and indispensable tools for basic research, disease models could enable researchers to better understand the pathophysiology of corneal ectasias and to verify hypotheses of pathogenesis, as well as to evaluate potential treatments. The common disease models of corneal ectasia include post-LASIK keratectasia animal model, rodent model for hereditary keratoconus, finite element models and in vitro models of corneal ectasia, which has the merits and faults of each. However, there is still not a suitable animal model for the corneal ectasia for basic research.