Purpose: To report a case of granular corneal dystrophy after radial keratotomy (RK).
Methods: A 32-year-old man presented with white radial lines in both corneas. He had a history of uncomplicated RK in both eyes 8 years ago. Preoperative refraction had been OD -3.5-0.75 x 180 and OS -3.0-0.5 x 175. The cornea was reported to be clear on postoperative examinations.
Results: Postoperative uncorrected visual acuity was OD 20/30 and OS 20/40. Best-corrected visual acuity was 20/25 in both eyes with OD -0.5-0.5 x 60 and OS -0.75-0.5 x 80. Slit-lamp examination revealed discrete well-demarcated whitish lesions with clear intervening stroma in the central anterior cornea consistent with granular dystrophy. Similar opacities were present within the RK incisions.
Conclusions: Production and deposition of such abnormal material could be due to keratocyte activation after RK or proliferation and migration of epithelial cells with a tendency to express abnormal keratoepithelin.