[How do I explore: corneal melting after cataract surgery ?]

Corneal melting or corneal keratolysis is described after cataract surgery. It is a rare but serious and potentially vision-threatening condition. It appears as a rapid and severe corneal stromal thinning after cataract surgery, leading in the most severe cases to corneal perforation. The etiologies are multiple and sometimes associated and include neurotrophic keratitis, herpetic keratitis, dry syndrome, postoperative non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, rheumatological pathology of the Sjögren's type or graft versus host disease. The diagnosis is made on the basis of a clinical ophthalmological examination, in which the patient presents with reduced vision and thinning, and in the most serious cases, perforation of the cornea. Once the diagnosis has been made, treatment is primarily medical and sometimes surgical. It is carried out in stages depending on the extent of corneal thinning. this article explains in detail how to investigate and manage corneal thinning following cataract surgery.