Risk Factors and Clinical Course of Patients with Recurrent Corneal Erosion: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Recurrent corneal erosion (RCE) syndrome is characterized by recurrent corneal epithelium detachment, and patients with RCE usually experience sudden onset unilateral ocular pain upon awakening from sleep. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of risk factors and clinical course of RCE syndrome.

A retrospective chart review was performed at King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, focusing on RCE patients. The study included 28 individuals who met the inclusion criteria, ensuring a comprehensive examination of RCE cases. Data collection was meticulous using the Phoenix system and Microsoft Excel data sheets, and the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS version 27.

Twenty-eight patients with RCE were included in the study. The causes of RCE varied and included trauma, map dot fingerprint dystrophy (MDF), fingernail-related issues, and other unknown factors. The number of RCE recurrences ranged from 1 to 4 times, and the duration of recurrence ranged from 1 to 48 months. Treatment modalities included superficial keratectomy, photorefractive keratectomy, phototherapeutic keratectomy, antibiotic eye drops and ointments, and hyaluronic acid eye drop substitutes. There was no significant difference ( P > 0.05) in patients' clinical profiles between trauma-related and MDF-related cases. Furthermore, no significant ( P > 0.05) correlation was observed between RCE recurrence duration and other factors, including gender, position of RCE, past ocular history, past medical history, initiating causative factors, and treatment approaches.

Trauma, including fingernail injuries and MDF, was the most important and prevalent causative/risk factor. However, a nonsignificant correlation was observed between recurrence duration and risk factors.