POST TRAUMATIC KERATOUVEITIS IN HORSES

Traumatic keratouveitis in horses is characterised by a unilateral, as eptic, vascularising keratitis accompanied by moderate to severe anter ior uveitis. In a series of 9 cases of post traumatic keratouveitis, t opical and systemic nonsteroidal drugs and atropine were used to contr ol the anterior uveitis while allowing spontaneous corneal healing, Am ong the 9 cases reported, 6 affected eyes previously treated with loca l corticosteroids took significantly longer to resolve when compared t o 3 eyes in which corticosteroids had not been administered. It was co ncluded that, in cases of equine post traumatic keratouveitis, locally administered corticosteroids inhibit healing of damaged corneal strom a and, by prolonging the keratitis, perpetuate the concurrent anterior uveitis.