Categories
Ocular System

Corneal dellen

Contents

Small saucer-like excavations at the margin of the cornea caused by interruptions of the tear film and local dehydration of the cornea.

  • Complication: Corneal perforation
(A) Corneal dellen at the onset. (B) Corneal dellen – no fluorescein staining seen under cobalt blue light of slit lamp. | Sharma, B., Bajoria, S. K., Patnaik, A., & Barbhaya, R. (2020). Resolution of Corneal Dellen After an Uneventful Pterygium Surgery with Punctal Cautery. Cureus, 12(5), e8250. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.8250

Aetiology

Usually following processes which produce a paralimbal elevation:

Induce a localized break in the precorneal oily layer of the tears which, in turn, causes a localized dehydration and thinning of the cornea
  • Pterygium surgery (M/C cause)
  • Large filtration blebs
  • Dermoids
  • Scleritis
  • Episcleritis
  • Scarring after extraocular muscle surgery
  • Severe conjunctival chemosis

Management

Punctal cauterization

To increase tear pooling over the affected area

Copious lubricant application:

For early resolution of dellen

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