TOXIC KERATOPATHY DUE TO THE ACCIDENTAL USE OF CHLORHEXIDINE, CETRIMIDE AND CIALIT

Due to economical reasons some ophthalmologists are using an irrigating solution made by the hospital pharmacy instead of the commercially available solutions. These irrigating solutions come in bottles which are identical to the ones used for other solutions. During the last three years bottles were accidentally mixed up five times. Consequently, bottles containing solutions such as chlorhexidine, cetrimide, chlorhexidine/cetrimide and cialit solutions were used during cataract surgery. This resulted in immediate corneal edema which, in its turn resulted in a bullous keratopathy. Four patients underwent a penetrating keratoplasty. In one patient the cornea was covered with a conjunctival flap. Light microscopy of the corneas included epithelial edema, loss of keratocytes, and a disrupted and sometimes absent endothelial cell layer.