Topical diclofenac relieves pain from corneal rust ring

A prospective double-masked placebo controlled trial to assess the potential benefit of topical diclofenac in the treatment of corneal rust ring of 40 patients attending the eye casualty department was carried out. Patients allocated to the diclofenac group had significantly reduced pain scores at 48 hours after starting treatment compared with patients allocated to the placebo group (p = 0.008 and p = 0.042 for visual analogue and Likert pain scales respectively). No difference was noted between groups in terms of rate of epithelial healing or degree of inflammation. Topical diclofenac offers improved analgesia in the treatment of corneal rust ring.