Corneal Abrasions

Patients with corneal abrasions present with an acute painful eye, commonly with a history of trauma.

What other symptoms could present?

Other symptoms include:

• Foreign body sensation
• Blurred vision
• Photophobia
• Ophthalmoplegia
• Headache
• Blepharospasm

The diagnosis can be confirmed by examining the cornea under cobalt-blue light following the application of fluorescein.

If clinical examination is limited by pain, topical anaesthetic can be instilled. Proxymetacaine has been shown to produce the lowest pain score of all topical anaesthetics and is regarded as the agent of choice for the examination of the injured eye [14].

Corneal abrasions appear green under florescent light after the application of fluorescein.