Purpose. To report three cases of seemingly unilateral dystrophy indistingu
ishable from type I classic lattice corneal dystrophy, Methods. Case study
of three patients. Three patients, a 31-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman,
and a 41-year-old man had multiple lattice lesions in one eye and an appare
ntly healthy fellow eye. Two of these patients underwent penetrating kerato
plasty because of poor vision. Results. Histopathologic examination of the
excised corneal button of patient 2 showed amyloid deposits consistent with
lattice. In the third patient, lattice lesions were noted in the other eye
nearly 13 years after he was first examined. Conclusions. Lattice corneal
dystrophy is rarely unilateral. Lattice, even in unilateral cases, may caus
e significant vision loss to warrant penetrating keratoplasty. Lattice lesi
ons may develop in the fellow eye many years later. This possibility should
be explained to all patients with apparently unilateral lattice corneal dy
strophy.