Topical diclofenac sodium in the management of anesthetic abuse keratopathy
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 7, 2026

Corneal Epithelial Abrasion with Ocular Burr As a Model for Cornea Wound Healing
Published on: July 10, 2018
D I Dornic1, J M Thomas, J H Lass
1Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, OH 44106, USA.
Purpose:
To report a case of anesthetic abuse keratopathy and to suggest the use of topical diclofenac sodium in the management of this disorder.
Method:
Narcotics and topical diclofenac were used to control pain in a patient who developed a corneal ulcer after abusing topical anesthetics.
Result:
After the institution of topical diclofenac, the patient reported substantial improvement in comfort and less reliance on narcotic agents for analgesia.
Conclusion:
We found topical diclofenac to be useful in controlling pain in this patient with anesthetic abuse keratopathy.
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