Abstract
IntroductionDiabetic keratopathy is a rare complication of diabetes mellitus. This case illustrates the importance of checking blood sugar levels of patients with non-healing corneal ulcers to rule out the possibility of undiagnosed diabetes mellitus.Case presentationWe report the unusual case of a 24-year-old southeast Asian woman who presented with a sterile corneal ulcer to our hospital and later was found to be diabetic after a prolonged hospital stay. Despite all efforts, the corneal ulcer had failed to heal until treatment for previously undiagnosed diabetes was started. The sterile corneal ulcer began to heal once blood sugar levels began to normalize.ConclusionsDiabetic keratopathy is a rare complication of diabetes mellitus and needs to be considered as a diagnosis in younger patients with non-healing sterile corneal ulcers. Blood sugar levels should be checked in these cases for undiagnosed diabetes mellitus.
Highlights
Diabetic keratopathy is a rare complication of diabetes mellitus and needs to be considered as a diagnosis in younger patients with non-healing sterile corneal ulcers
Diabetic keratopathy is a rare complication of diabetes mellitus and needs to be considered as a diagnosis in younger patients with nonhealing sterile corneal ulcers
Four days after insulin treatment was started, her ulcer had healed and she was discharged from the hospital and follow-up was conducted at her local diabetes clinic
Summary
We report an unusual case of a 24-year-old southeast Asian woman who presented with a sterile corneal ulcer to our hospital and later was found to be diabetic. Her corneal ulcer had failed to heal until her blood sugar levels began to normalize. Case presentation A 24-year-old southeast Asian woman was admitted with a history of a white spot on the right cornea and increasing discomfort On examination, her vision was 6/36 on the right and 6/9 on the left. Four days after insulin treatment was started, her ulcer had healed and she was discharged from the hospital and follow-up was conducted at her local diabetes clinic. At a one-month review in the eye clinic, her ulcer remained healed, leaving a localized area of subepithelial scarring (Figure 4)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
