Corneal Ulcer: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

Home Corneal Ulcer: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

Corneal Ulcer: The Daily PANCE Blueprint

A 61-year-old male with a history of hypertension presents to the clinic with eye pain, blurry vision, and photophobia. The patient admits he hasn’t been taking his contact lenses out as often as he should. You suspect a corneal ulcer. What is the next best step?

A. Antibacterial and steroid drops
B. Emergent ophthalmologist referral
C. Patch the eye and follow up in 2 weeks
D. Oral antibiotics and aggressive eye irrigation
E. Reassurance

Answer and topic summary

The answer is B. Emergent ophthalmologist referral

A corneal ulcer is essentially a defect in the corneal epithelium. Risk factors include prolonged steroid eye drops, Bell palsy, herpes simplex or zoster, eye trauma, dry eyes, and wearing contact lenses. It classically is a complication of bacterial keratitis. Clinical features may include eye pain, photophobia blurry vision, and eye redness. Ulcers can result in permanent scarring and vision loss and an ophthalmologist should be consulted emergently.

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Smarty PANCE Content Blueprint Review:

Covered under ⇒ PANCE Blueprint EENT ⇒ Disorders of the Eye ⇒ Corneal disorders => Corneal ulcer

Also covered as part of the Family Medicine EOR topic lists

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