1. Microbial Keratitis With Crack Cocaine
- Author
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Peter S. Hersh, Mitchell B. Strominger, and Ronald Sachs
- Subjects
Adult ,Chemosis ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Visual acuity ,genetic structures ,Photophobia ,Visual Acuity ,Keratitis ,Cocaine ,Ophthalmology ,Humans ,Medicine ,Corneal Ulcer ,Crack cocaine ,business.industry ,Staphylococcal Infections ,medicine.disease ,Purulent discharge ,eye diseases ,Ophthalmology clinic ,Itching ,Female ,sense organs ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
The use of "crack" cocaine is now reaching epidemic proportions, and with it a myriad of previously unrecognized medical complications have arisen. 1 An ophthalmologic condition called "crack eye" has recently been described. 2 Patients with crack eye have exhibited pain, photophobia, lacrimation, chemosis, and hyperemia in association with corneal epithelial defects. We have seen a patient who presented with bilateral infectious corneal ulcers. Her presenting complaints included a relatively painless decrease in visual acuity, redness, and persistent purulent discharge. Report of a Case. —A 27-year old Hispanic woman presented to the ophthalmology clinic at Jacobi Hospital, Bronx, NY, with decreasing visual acuity of 3 weeks' duration in both eyes. She first started smoking crack approximately 4 months prior to being seen. At that time she noticed redness, burning, and itching. These symptoms initially caused her to rub her eyes frequently, but during the next 2 months, in spite of more...
- Published
- 1990
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