Valle (1964) described keratitis fugax hereditaria as a new entity in 10 members of 4 generations. (Fugax means fleeting; fugitive and centrifugal are from the same Latin root, fugere, meaning to flee.) The disease begins between the ages ... Valle (1964) described keratitis fugax hereditaria as a new entity in 10 members of 4 generations. (Fugax means fleeting; fugitive and centrifugal are from the same Latin root, fugere, meaning to flee.) The disease begins between the ages of 4 and 12 years and is characterized by acute attacks of keratitis occurring 2 to 8 times a year. No permanent corneal opacities result. Attacks become milder and less frequent after age 50. Also see recurring hereditary corneal erosions (122400) which may be the same disorder. Also known as keratoendotheliitis fugax hereditaria, this disorder is distinct from autosomal dominant keratitis (148190), as it is characterized by self-limiting intermittent attacks of keratoendotheliitis affecting 1 or the other eye (Ruusuvaara and Setala, 1987). These workers described a Finnish kindred with 21 affected persons in 5 generations. The attacks lasted from a few days to several weeks. Corneal edema and endothelial guttata-like changes were seen during attacks; permanent opacities in the stroma were observed in some subjects after many attacks. The first attacks were at age 3 years in 2 and in their teens in others, but usually occurred about age 10.