Dr. Kathy Colby Introduces New Thoughts About Fuchs’ Endothelial Dystrophy

Kathryn Colby, MD, PhD, an internationally renowned academic cornea specialist, was April’s Vision Seminar guest speaker. Dr. Colby serves as Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of Chicago, where she is the Louis Block Professor. She discussed a special prevalent corneal condition, common in women, named: Fuchs’ dystrophy, which is the most common cause for corneal transplantation in the US. 

As one of the leaders pioneering novel treatments for this condition, she shared her experience and thoughts regarding the pathogenesis and treatment of this disease. Dr. Colby elaborated on the different surgical techniques that are commonly used to treat Fuchs’ Dystrophy, and introduced her experience in Decemet membrane stripping, a novel technique that she spearheaded as a potential treatment option for patients. 

As knowledge about the pathogenesis of this condition continue to evolve, including genetic predisposition and endothelial mitochondrial dysfunction, treatment remains focused on the surgical replacement of the innermost layer of the cornea, the endothelium. “In the future, endothelial cell transplantation may prove to be a viable treatment option”, Dr. Colby said, “however in the next ten years we will be focused on improving our surgical techniques, and considering adjuvant topical treatments to enhance endothelial cell function and proliferation.