What is wrong with my eye??

[ZorBaG]

Hi Guys,

First time I've posted on these forums and never thought I would ever post in a "Health type" forum since my health has always been up to speed.  But as of the last 3 years now my quality of life has severlely decreased due to an eye problem I'm having.  

So far each November for the past 3 years I have developed a corneal scar in my left eye.  Yes, the same month each year and every time time it comes back to haunt me my vision keeps deteriorating.  I have seen about 4 opthamologists and currently seeing a corneal specialist.  Still, no doctors have given me a 100% confident diagnosis!  At first they thought it was an allergic reaction, than another thought it was an injury and now 2 of the doctors feel that it is ocular herpes.  I have had tests done to see if there was any bacteria or viruses causing my eye to ulcerate but everything came back negative!  Only 2 test have been done, the first everything came back negative and the second test was inconclusive as apparently I have too much Ocufloxacin in my eye.  At the moment I taking up 3 month visits to my opthamologist who has prescribed me with FML eye drops which I have now been taking for 3 months straight and Cellufresh eye drops to keep my eye moist.  At the moment I have an S shaped scar in the center of my cornea (right in the middle of my pupil) and the specialists are saying the scar is 400um deep, which goes all the way to the bottom of the stroma and stops just before the decements membrane).  

Now the first time it happened the symtoms I experienced was a very, very RED eye which constant tearing and light sensitivity.  However, in the 2nd and 3rd Novembers I experienced no redness, tearing or light sensitivity but merely just a significant decrease in vision which has led me to see specialists.  

I will also say that at first I felt it was an injury from work as I used to work in a Mineral Sample Preperation Facility.  Basically I used to work in a warehouse with massive amounts or dirt and dust in the air.  The specific job I used to do was operate the pulverising machine which required me to blow out excess minerals and dirt with an air compressed gun.  From what I have read on the net, generally most corneal scarring that happens to be in the middle of the eye is usually from a traumatic injury.

So still I haven't really actually been diagnosed for anything yet and to be quiet honest, it has been scarring the crap out of me.

So the only thing I can think of is;

1. Work Injury
2. A few doctors think it's a herpetic infection - even thou I have tested negative when the scrape tests were done.  however I do have HSV - 1 as I have taken a blood test and came up positive.
3. The first time it happened the opthamologist said it was an allergic reaction.

I'm so confused as what I should do as I have no idea what I am dealing with! The corneal specialist said I will almost definately need a partial thickness corneal transplant.

So the questions I have is;

What do you think is wrong with my eye with the information given?

What should I do about my situation?

If I end up going for the surgery, will this transplant last me for the rest of my life?  I'm only 23 years old and I'm scared that I will lose my eye.

Should I expect my vision to increase after the transplant as the scarring won't be blocking my vision?

I really have no idea on how I should deal with whatever is wrong with my eye.  Any answers and help is appreciated and dealing with this poor vision and disturbing ghosting taking it's toll.

Unfortunately, I find my specialist really hard to talk to as he seems so busy.  But he has that aura about him as if he knows what hes doing.

Once again, any help will go a long way with me.  

Thanks.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

I am one of the forum ophthalmologists. If your condition is stumping 5 ophthalmologists there is little I can do to add any useful information. You ask good questions but you need to direct them to the corneal ophthalmologist.

JCH MD

[ZorBaG]

Just to edit the start of that.  I have developed corneal scarring due to an ulcer that keeps affecting my left eye each November for the past 3 years.