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Diagnosis and Management of Corneal Ulcers in Pediatric Patients

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Practical Management of Pediatric Ocular Disorders and Strabismus

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Abstract

Pediatric corneal ulcers are potentially devastating ocular conditions of special importance in children due to children’s expected longevity and the risk for visual impairment from deprivational and refractive amblyopia. Young patients can present challenges because of their limited ability to provide history and to describe symptoms, and their potential difficulty in cooperating with examination. As in adults, the most common organisms responsible for corneal ulcers in children are bacteria and herpes simplex virus (HSV), and less frequently fungi. Keratitis can also be secondary to ocular rosacea, which due to its low prevalence and sub-acute course may lead to delay in appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Antibiotics, antivirals, and sometimes corticosteroids are employed to eradicate infection and to modulate the host immune response to prevent scarring and permanent visual loss.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cornea Consultants of Texas, 3455 Locke Ave, Ste 220, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA

    Patricia Ann Ple-plakon MD

  2. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan, W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, 1000 Wall Street, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105, USA

    Patricia Ann Ple-plakon MD & Christopher Thomas Hood MD

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  1. Patricia Ann Ple-plakon MD
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Correspondence to Christopher Thomas Hood MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Elias Traboulsi

  2. Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

    Virginia Utz

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Ple-plakon, P.A., Hood, C.T. (2016). Diagnosis and Management of Corneal Ulcers in Pediatric Patients. In: Traboulsi, E., Utz, V. (eds) Practical Management of Pediatric Ocular Disorders and Strabismus. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2745-6_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2745-6_10

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