Toxic Effects of Drugs on the Corneal Epithelium: A Review

Abstract The corneal epithelium being an exposed tissue can be easily injured by chemical agents. Because of its accessibility it can be readily examined by clinical methods. Clinical reports on the adverse drug effects on the cornea as well as data from in vivo and in vitro corneal experiments are gradually increasing our knowledge of the toxic effects of drugs on the corneal epithelium. In this paper the adverse effects of drugs given directly to the eye and administered systemically are reviewed. It is obvious that a large number of drugs can produce cytotoxic effects on the corneal epithelium.