Corneal abrasions, also commonly referred to as a scratched cornea or scratched eye, are one of the most common eye injuries. A scratched cornea often causes significant discomfort, foreign body sensation, severe pain, eye erythema, light sensitivity, and photophobia. Corneal abrasions result from a disruption or loss of cells in the top layer of the cornea, called the corneal epithelium. These types of abrasions are caused by nonpenetrating trauma to the corneal epithelium, which makes up a large percentage of ocular injuries seen in the hospital emergency departments and by primary care physicians.
Corneal abrasions can be classified as traumatic, foreign body-related, fingernail-induced, contact lens-related, or spontaneous. Most patients with uncomplicated superficial corneal abrasions recover completely after 3 to 5 days.
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