Who is at Risk for Fuchs’ Dystrophy?
If you have a parent who has the Fuchs’ Dystrophy gene, you have a 50% chance of developing this disease. If you are a woman, your risk of inheriting the disease is slightly higher than the risk for a man. Unfortunately, the older we are, the less likely we are to know if our parents carried the gene. This is because the technology used to detect the disease was not widely available many years ago. In addition, if our parent did not have symptoms, he or she may have carried the gene and been unaware of it. If you are diagnosed with Fuchs’ Dystrophy, it is important that your children and siblings be monitored on an annual basis. How is Fuchs ‘Dystrophy Detected? Your doctor will use a slit lamp examination to detect Fuchs’ Disease. This allows him to exam magnified images of the endothelial cells. He may also use an instrument called a pachymeter that uses ultrasound to measure the thickness of your corneas. Both of these examinations are painless. How is Fuchs’ Dystrophy Treated? Your
