Corneal perforation is an anomaly in the cornea resulting from damage to the corneal surface. A corneal perforation means that the cornea has been penetrated, thus leaving the cornea damaged.
The

cornea The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Along with the anterior chamber and lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power ...

is a clear part of the eye which controls and focuses the entry of light into the eye. Damage to the cornea due to corneal perforation can cause decreased visual acuity.

Signs and symptoms

Corneal perforation may cause difficulty in seeing and persistent eye pain.

Physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally consists of a series of questions about the patien ...

may reveal discoloration of the cornea.

Causes

Perforation of the cornea may occur due to diseases of the cornea, injury during eye surgery, or infection of the eye, which may occur after surgery or procedures.

Pellucid marginal degeneration Pellucid marginal degeneration (PMD) is a degenerative corneal condition, often confused with keratoconus. It typically presents with painless vision loss affecting both eyes. Rarely, it may cause acute vision loss with severe pain due to perfo ...

may cause corneal thinning, leading to perforation.

Diagnosis

Corneal perforation can be diagnosed by using the

Seidel test The Seidel test is used to assess the presence of aqueous humor leakage from Anterior chamber of eyeball, anterior chamber of the eye. Leakage may occur due to many corneal or scleral disorders, including corneal post-trauma, post-surgical leak, ...

. Any aqueous leakage is revealed during the Seidel test confirms corneal perforation. A fluorescence strip is wiped over the wound. If the clear aqueous humor from the eye runs through the yellow stain, the patient tests positive for corneal perforation.

Treatment

The treatment of corneal perforation depends on the location, severity and the cause of damage *Tissue adhesive can be used to seal small perforation, but this method cannot be used to treat perforations larger than 1 mm. *Non infected corneal perforation generally heals when a pressure bandage is used. *For certain types of corneal perforations,

lamellar keratoplasty A ''lamella'' (plural ''lamellae'') is a small plate or flake, from the Latin, and may also be used to refer to collections of fine sheets of material held adjacent to one another, in a gill-shaped structure, often with fluid in between though s ...

is used as treatment.

Signs and symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

References

Further reading