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© 2012, Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the publisher.

Inquiries for bulk sales may be solicited at: jaypee@jaypeebrothers.com

This book has been published in good faith that the contents provided by the author contained herein are original, and is intended for educational purposes only. While every effort is made to ensure a accuracy of information, the publisher and the author specifically disclaim any damage, liability, or loss incurred, directly or indirectly, from the use or application of any of the contents of this work. If not specifically stated, all figures and tables are courtesy of the author. Where appropriate, the readers should consult with a specialist or contact the manufacturer of the drug or device.

First Edition: 2012

Keratoconus and other ectatic corneal disorders are common diseases; their prevalence increases day by day due to the huge development in diagnostic and screening tools. Management of these diseases has also developed; new approaches have risen either to halt the progression or to rehabilitate the cornea or to achieve both. It is easy to diagnose these diseases, but it is not that easy to classify and grade them. Nevertheless, each treatment modality has its own indications, conditions, contraindications, and complications. All of that put the doctor, in many cases, on crossroads and make a challenge in choosing the modality(s) that may give the patient the desired optimal results. There are – of course – general guidelines, but tricky things are so many, hence the aim of this book: that is to clarify and specify those guidelines and to build up a mesh among specific criteria that the doctor should look for. The way that this book deals with this topic is systematic and academic. First, it mentions—in detail—the classifications of the diseases. Second, it goes through treatment modalities in a classified and listed manner and at the same time answering the major three questions: When to treat, Why this modality, and Why not others? Third, it builds up a mesh in a flow chart manner and suggests a checklist together with a three-step approach. The checklist and the three-step approach are finally applied in nine cases taken as examples and studied following the systematic approach. As a novel idea in this book, chapter 4 has been put to make sense of all those skills that the readers have gained, the chapter is presented in an entertainment method to exchange knowledge and skills between readers and the author. In this book, there is special concentration on what is absent in other books; therefore, the readers will notice that clinical manifestations of the diseases and complications of management modalities were ignored.

The author would like to express his deep gratitude to Mrs Ruba, his wife, whose unwavering support was critical for this book.