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Published on: November 12, 2015
Ring keratitis from topical anaesthetic misuse
S K Webber1, G L Sutton, M A Lawless
1Sydney Refractive Surgery Centre, Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia.
Background:
Topical anaesthetic abuse is now an established differential diagnosis of ring keratitis. Published evidence suggests that this condition often has a poor prognosis, with the eyes sometimes requiring penetrating keratoplasty or the patient becoming blind.
Method:
A case of topical anaesthetic abuse and its subsequent management is presented. Ocular examination including pachymetry and specular microscopy is reported.
Results:
The cornea made an excellent recovery, allowing a visual acuity of 6/6. Pachymetry showed corneal thickening and specular microscopy demonstrated a decreased cell count in the affected eye.
Conclusions:
With prompt recognition and appropriate treatment the prognosis for these cases can be excellent. However, there is evidence to suggest permanent cellular damage to the endothelium.
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