Anesthetic keratopathy presenting as bilateral Mooren-like ulcers

Hamid Khakshoor,¹ Majid Moshirfar,² Rachel G Simpson,³ Hamid Gharaee,¹ Amir H Vejdani,¹ Steven M Christiansen,² Jason N Edmonds,² Nicholas L Behunin<sup>2

1</sup>Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Department of Ophthalmology, Mashad, Iran; ²John A Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, ³The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, USA

Abstract: This observational case report describes the development of bilateral Mooren-like ulcers in a patient with anesthetic keratopathy. A 42-year-old man with a recent history of minor eye trauma and pain self-treated with tetracaine eye drops presented with complaints of acutely worsening vision and severe pain bilaterally. His visual acuity at presentation was limited to hand motion. Slit-lamp examination revealed bilateral epithelial defects at the center of the cornea, and an area of stromal infiltration and thinning with an undermining leading edge resembling a Mooren's ulcer in both eyes. Corneal haze and hypopyon were visible. Anesthetic use was halted immediately and the patient was started on prednisolone and mycophenolate mofetil (Cellcept^®), after which visual acuity gradually improved and pain decreased. Despite improvement of symptoms, residual epithelial defects remained, and the patient was ultimately treated with keratoplasty for recovery of vision. We suggest that anesthetic keratopathy should be included in the differential diagnosis for any patient presenting with ring-shaped stromal infiltrates or nonhealing epithelial defects.

Keywords: anesthetic abuse, corneal damage, corneal ulceration