Q: My 27 years old relative, born of a consanginous marriage suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum. She had surgeries for skin cancers (squamous cell cancer). She avoids sunlight as required. Off late, she is developing corneal haziness - nebular opacities. On consultation, the ophthalmologist said nothing can be done. He opined xeroderma pigmentosum causes a dry eye. I have been unable to find that in literature. He has prescribed artificial tears but the condition is same after one year of its use. What is the long lasting solution for this? She is deaf and dumb as well.

A:Xeroderma pigmentosum is a photosensitive disorder with DNA repair defect and late sequalae of cutaneous malignancies. At present, other than photoprotection and surgical treatment of malignancies, nothing much can be done. In the eye, corneal opacities are known to occur, related to photodamage.