Q: My 5-year-old son was diagnosed with keratoglobus when he was 5 months old. He has been on glasses since then. His doctors said that his eyes are healthy now. He has recently started playing soccer and tee ball, which the doctor says is okay. Is there anything I should do to protect his eyes other than the glasses? Does he need to take any vitamins to improve the health of his eyes? What should we expect in future?

A:Keratoglobus is a condition, which is usually congenital since birth (may be inherited), in which there is thinning of the cornea i.e. front transparent part of the eye. Because of thinning it is vulnerable to trauma and even slight injury may cause splits in its inner layers and subsequent oedema thereby causing temporary reduction of vision. He should avoid any contact games for fear of injury and wear glasses, which will not only improve his sight but also protect it from injury. He should also be discouraged to rub his eyes even if he suffers from emotional or allergy problems. In future this may lead to condition like keratoconus (conical cornea) in which case corneal transplant may or may not be necessary.