#MAP DOT FINGERPRINT DYSTROPHY SKIN#

The epithelium cells can break away and slough off, triggering symptoms of light sensitivity, blurred vision and discomfort. In EBMD, the basement membrane becomes thickened and irregular, causing the epithelium to buckle, wrinkle and break apart, so that the cells are easily dislodged from the surface of the cornea. EBMD generally occurs after the age of 40, but can appear as late as age 70. It is not fully understood why certain corneas become dystrophic, but some have strong hereditary inclinations, are usually bilateral and that can be progressive. In the biomicroscope, it appears as an irregular pattern of cysts, ridges and circular whorls that resemble a map or a fingerprint. There are several corneal dystrophies, but by far the most common is “epithelial basement membrane dystrophy (EBMD), also known as map-dot-fingerprint dystrophy,” because of its characteristic appearance in the biomicroscope, an optical instrument used by eyecare practitioners to evaluate the front parts of the eye.

The basement membrane is also known as Bowman’s membrane or Bowman’s layer.

#MAP DOT FINGERPRINT DYSTROPHY SKIN#

The outermost layer of tissue is the epithelium, a type of modified skin cell, which is attached to the next layer, the basement membrane. The cornea is the first surface that light passes through on its way to the retina, so maintaining its smoothness and the regularity of its tissues is necessary for clear, undistorted vision. A corneal dystrophy is a non-infectious, non-inflammatory breakdown or deterioration of one or more of the five layers of the cornea, the clear, dome-shaped structure covering the front of the eye.

Map dot fingerprint dystrophy