Keratitis from Misuse of Corneal Anesthetics

Abstract

Five cases are presented to emphasize the fact that chronic use of topical anesthetics on the eye can lead to severe keratitis and even permanent reduction of visual acuity. These reactions can be evoked in any eye that has been subjected to prolonged topical anesthesia as a means of relieving the discomfort of minor injuries. Loss of corneal epithelium (with resultant increased reliance on the anesthetic), opacification and edema of the corneal stroma and marked inflammatory changes in the anterior segment of the eye is the sequence of events that follow days or weeks of such treatment. Topical anesthetics should only be used for the purpose of obtaining transient loss of corneal sensitivity and never as part of a prolonged medical regimen.