What does it mean to have "ghost vessels" in my eye?

Question

If I have visible veins in my eyes that turn into "ghost vessels", are those visible, too?

Answer 1

Ghost vessels generally occur after a case of neovascularization of the cornea.  This means the cornea has grown vessels where there should be none, generally as a response to lack of oxygen with contact lens wear (thought it can have other origins).  They never go away, but can empty out if they are not required to pump oxygen to the cornea anymore.  The vessels stay behind, but there's no blood in them.  Generally they can't be seen except under magnification such as the doctor uses when examining your eyes.