Corneal ulcer
Revision as of 22:34, 13 July 2016 by Neil.m.young (talk | contribs) (Text replacement - " w/ " to " with ")
Background
- Major cause of impaired vision and blindness worldwide
- Break in epithelial layer allows infectious agents to gain access to the underlying stroma
Causes
Clinical Features
- Redness and swelling of lids and conjunctivae
- Ocular pain or foreign body sensation
- Decreased visual acuity (if located in central visual axis or uveal tract is inflamed)
Differential Diagnosis
Unilateral red eye
- Nontraumatic
- Acute angle-closure glaucoma^
- Anterior uveitis
- Conjunctivitis
- Corneal erosion
- Corneal ulcer^
- Endophthalmitis^
- Episcleritis
- Herpes zoster ophthalmicus
- Inflamed pinguecula
- Inflamed pterygium
- Keratoconjunctivitis
- Keratoconus
- Nontraumatic iritis
- Scleritis^
- Subconjunctival hemorrhage
- Orbital trauma
- Caustic keratoconjunctivitis^^
- Corneal abrasion, Corneal laceration
- Conjunctival hemorrhage
- Conjunctival laceration
- Globe rupture^
- Hemorrhagic chemosis
- Lens dislocation
- Ocular foreign body
- Posterior vitreous detachment
- Retinal detachment
- Retrobulbar hemorrhage
- Traumatic hyphema
- Traumatic iritis
- Traumatic mydriasis
- Traumatic optic neuropathy
- Vitreous detachment
- Vitreous hemorrhage
- Ultraviolet keratitis
^Emergent diagnoses ^^Critical diagnoses
Diagnosis
- Slit-lamp exam
- Gray/white lesion
- Hypopyon may be present
- Iritis signs may be present:
- Miotic pupil
- Consenual photophobia
Management
- Emergent ophtho consultation
- Topical abx
- Ciprofloxacin or ofloxacin otic, 1 drop qhr in affected eye
- Antiviral or anti-fungal if high suspicion for viral or fungal cause
- Cycloplegic
- Helps with pain from accompanying iritis
- Cyclopentolate 1%
- Do not patch the eye
Disposition
Refer to ophtho within 12-24hr
Complications
- Corneal scarring
- Corneal perforation
- Ant/posterior synechiae
- Glaucoma
- Cataracts