Corneal edema induced by cold.

We report on a patient, who regularly developed reversible corneal edema of the right eye after cold stress. Cycling tours in cold weather and windy conditions seemed to precipitate the edema. After a provocation test, we also observed transient, corneal edema. A few reports in the literature suggested that Raynaud's disease or trigeminal neuropathy might be responsible for cold-induced corneal opacification. None of these conditions was present in our patient, as proved by laboratory tests and magnetic resonance imaging. We found that contact lenses were an effective prophylaxis against corneal edema.