Toxic keratopathy due to abuse of topical anesthetic drugs

Author： Yeniad Baris Canturk Serife Esin Ozdemir Fatma Alparslan Nilufer Akarcay Koray

ISSN： 1556-9527

Source： Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology (formerly Journal of Toxicology - Cutaneous and, Vol.29, Iss.2, 2010-06, pp. : 105-109

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Abstract

Objective: To describe 8 cases of toxic keratopathy due to abuse of topical anesthetic drugs.Methods: Clinical findings from patients with toxic keratopathy were investigated retrospectively.Results: Two patients had toxic keratopathy bilaterally. Five of 8 patients had an ocular history of a corneal foreign body, 1 had basal membrane dystrophy, 1 had ultraviolet radiation, and 1 had chemical burn. All patients had undergone psychiatric consultation. Four patients had anxiety disorder and 1 had bipolar disease. Clinical signs were improved in all patients with discontinuation of topical anesthetic drug use along with adjunctive psychiatric treatment. Penetrating keratoplasty was performed in 2 patients.Conclusion: Toxic keratopathy due to topical anesthetic abuse is a curable disease. Early diagnosis and prevention of topical anesthetic drug use are the most important steps in the treatment of this condition. As these patients commonly exhibit psychiatric disorders, adjunctive psychiatric treatment may help to break the chemical addiction.