Corneal Ulcer
- Corneal ulcer usually occurs secondary to lid and conjunctival inflammation but is often secondary to trauma or contact lens wear
- Bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic
Corneal epithelial loss
Corneal Ulcer
- Ocular pain, redness, and discharge with decreased vision and corneal opacity.
Management:
- Prompt diagnosis of the etiology by doing corneal scraping; i.e. culture.
- Treatment with appropriate antimicrobial therapy is essential to minimize visual loss.
- Promote treatment to the primary cause if present (e.g., lid deformity, dryness)
Contact lens wearer
- Any redness occurring in patients who wear contact lenses should be managed with extreme caution
- Remove lens
- Rule out corneal infection (i.e., corneal ulcer)
- Gram-negative organisms, fungi, and Acanthamoeba are common causative organisms
- Do not patch
- Close follow-up