exposure keratopathy of cornea - eye

2. ⦿ Normally cornea is covered by
eyelids during sleep and during
awake it is kept moist by the blinking
movements .
When the eyes are covered
insufficiently by the eyelids , there is
a loss of protective mechanism
(lagophthalmos )
‘exposure
keratopathy ‘

3. CAUSES:
factors that produce lagophthalmos
⦿ Exposure proptosis
⦿Bells palsy
⦿Ectropion
⦿Symblepharon
⦿Deep coma
⦿Physiological lagophthalmos

4. PATHOGENESIS:
Due to exposure
Corneal epithelium dries up
Dessication (epithelium casts off)
Invasion by infective organisms

5. CLINICAL FEATURES:
SYMPTOMS
:
Ocular irritation
burning
foreign body sensation
redness
symptoms of causative agent

6. SIGNS:
⦿ Drying of cornea: due to inadequate
blinking
⦿ Punctate epithelial defects: develops in the lower
third in the region of palpebral fissure
⦿ Corneal ulceration: due to necrosis and bacterial
superinfection, they may even perforate

7. TREATMENT
:PROPHYLAXIS :
 Treatment of the underlying cause
 artificial tears instillation of
ointment
 soft bandage contact lens
⦿ TARSORRHAPHY by suturing
the lids together