Corneal Abrasion and Recurrent Corneal Erosion.

Signs and Symptoms: The tell-tale indicators of corneal abrasion include symptoms of acute pain and a history of recent trauma, but patients may also report photophobia, pain upon extraocular muscle movement, excessive tearing, blepharospasm, foreign body sensation and blurry vision. A slit lamp exam of the injured area may reveal diffuse corneal edema and epithelial disruption. In severe cases, when edema is excessive, you may see folds in Descemet's membrane. With fluorescein staining, the newly created wound will appear as a bright green area compared to the rest of the cornea as the dye accumulates in the divot.

Characteristics of recurrent corneal erosion (RCE) include repeated, spontaneous disruption of the corneal epithelium. In most cases, it precedes a mechanical trauma, such as a corneal abrasion caused by a fingernail. Patients with RCE usually present with a history of corneal abrasion in the involved eye and complain of recurrent episodes of ocular pain that may also include foreign body sensation, photophobia, blepharospasm, decreased vision or lacrimation upon awakening, following eye rubbing or eye opening. …