Nonsurgical Management of a Traumatic, Full-Thickness Corneal Laceration: A Case Report.

Introduction: In this report, we describe a case of a large, full-thickness traumatic cornea laceration that was managed nonsurgically.

Case presentation: A 22-year-old male presented with a red, painful right eye 4 days after a work-related injury. He was found to have a 6.5 mm full-thickness corneal laceration. The wound was Seidel negative, so the decision was made to manage the laceration nonsurgically. The patient did not develop endophthalmitis or wound complications, and his corrected visual acuity recovered to 20/25.

Discussion: Full-thickness cornea lacerations and lacerations larger than 3 mm routinely necessitate surgical intervention in a sterile environment, while medical management is typically reserved for partial-thickness or small, self-sealing lacerations. Surgical repair of lacerations can lead to resultant astigmatic problems, even when performed in ideal conditions and, therefore, should be avoided when possible. Through careful examination and close follow-up, our patient with a large full-thickness laceration was successfully treated nonsurgically and able to avoid associated complications.

Conclusions: This report expands the literature of the appropriate management of cornea lacerations.