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Medical Author:

Andrew A. Dahl, MD, FACS

Andrew A. Dahl, MD, FACS

Andrew A. Dahl, MD, is a board-certified ophthalmologist. Dr. Dahl's educational background includes a BA with Honors and Distinction from Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, and an MD from Cornell University, where he was selected for Alpha Omega Alpha, the national medical honor society. He had an internal medical internship at the New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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In this Article

• What is a corneal ulcer?
• What does a corneal ulcer look like?
• What are the causes of a corneal ulcer?
• What are corneal ulcer symptoms?
• What are corneal ulcer signs?
• How is a corneal ulcer diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for a corneal ulcer?
• What is the healing time for a corneal ulcer?
• Can corneal ulcers be prevented?
• Corneal Ulcer At A Glance
• Find a local Doctor in your town
• Corneal Ulcer Index

The treatment of a corneal ulcer depends on the reason for it having occurred. Appropriate treatment is aimed at eradicating the cause of the ulcer. Anti-infective agents directed at the inciting microbial agent will be used in cases of corneal ulcer due to infection. Generally, these will be in the form of drops or ointments to be placed in the eye but occasionally, especially in certain viral infections, oral medications will also be employed. Occasionally, cortisone is used, but this should only be used as directed by a physician, because in some situations, it may not help and actually may hinder healing.

In cases due to dryness or corneal exposure, tear substitutes will be used, possibly accompanied by patching or a bandage contact lens.

In corneal ulcers involving initial injury through physical or chemical means, the inciting agent must be removed from the eye (usually by copious irrigation for chemicals or by removing any foreign body like a small piece of wood or metal) and then medications aimed at preventing infection and minimizing scarring of the cornea will be used.

Contact lenses should be discontinued in any case of corneal ulcer, regardless of whether the ulcer was initially caused by the contact lens.

If the ulcer cannot be controlled with medications, it may be necessary to surgically debride the ulcer. If the ulcer causes significant corneal thinning and it threatens to perforate the cornea, a few individuals may require an emergency surgical procedure known as corneal transplant.

Individuals with corneal ulcers due to immunological diseases usually require patient-specific treatment of the cornea with immunosuppressive drugs. Such patients should have treatment schedules developed by an ophthalmologist in conjunction with their other doctors.

People with corneal ulcers that do not begin rapid healing after treatment should contact an ophthalmologist immediately; they should never borrow someone's eyedrops.