Corneal vital staining with gentian violet

We have used 0.5% gentian violet solution as a corneal vital stain in 112 patients with variable degrees of corneal involvements and in 40 normal eyes as control. Gentian violet stained the epithelial defects and degenerated epithelial cells of cornea. The stain persisted 3-5 minutes and disappeared by 8-10 minutes. There was no cross infection from dye use. The dye did not hamper usual process of repair of corneal lesions. It is found highly feasible, with a sensitivity about 100% and specificity about 95%, with some minor side effects. Thus it could be an excellent method in community ophthalmology for early diagnosis of corneal affections, thereby commencing prompt and appropriate treatment in early stage.