To investigate the clinical presentation and treatment outcomes of recurrent corneal erosion patients.

Retrospective analysis was performed on the medical records of 48 patients (53 eyes) diagnosed with recurrent corneal erosion by our ophthalmology department between January 2008 and March 2015. Patient age, gender, lesion location, and cause of disease were analyzed against occurrence of disease. Patients were classified by treatment method into group A, which was treated with eye drops; group B, which was treated with therapeutic contact lenses and eye drops; group C, which was treated with amniotic membrane transplantation; and group D, which was treated with other procedures, and the recurrence rates were compared.

The mean age of patients was 45.6 ± 14.3 years (19-76 years), with no significant difference in recurrence rates dependent on gender or eye. Patients in their 50s were most affected, excluding refractive surgery patients. The most frequent lesion location was the inferior area of the cornea (58.5%), followed by the central area (30.2%), and the most common cause of disease was trauma, followed by unknown causes, past refractive surgery, and complications from other eye diseases. Group A had 11 eyes (20.8%), while groups B, C, and D had 30 eyes (56.6%), 8 eyes (15.1%) and 4 eyes (7.3%), respectively. The recurrence rates according to treatment method were 27.3% in group A, 23.3% in group B, and 12.5% in group C. The lower recurrence rate in the group treated with amniotic membrane transplantation was not significant compared to that of conservatively treated groups.

Recurrent corneal erosion mostly affects patients in their 50s, excluding refractive surgery patients, and occurs frequently in the inferior area of the cornea due to mild trauma. Surgical treatment including amniotic membrane transplantation should be considered instead of conservative treatment in order to prevent reoccurrence.