Familial corneal hypesthesia

J. J. Purcell Jr and J. H. Krachmer

A 4-year-old boy with severe, diffuse, asymptomatic, punctate, epithelial corneal erosions had bilateral sharply decreased corneal sensation with normal skin sensation in the distribution of the trigeminal nerves. Subsequent family studies disclosed five family members with similar corneal changes and decreased corneal sensation and no punctate erosions. None had decreased skin sensation in the distribution of the fifth cranial nerve. No environmental factors or evidence of local or systemic disease accounted for these findings.