What is the fluorescein staining result when testing for CLARE?

What is the fluorescein staining result when testing for CLARE?

• A. Negative
• B. Positive
• C. Bleached
• D. Inconclusive

Answer: (A)

Fluorescein staining reveals where the corneal epithelium is disrupted, because dye collects in epithelial breaks under cobalt blue light. In CLARE, the problem is inflammatory and related to contact lens wear, but the corneal surface is typically intact without an epithelial defect. So there is no uptake of fluorescein in the cornea, yielding a negative staining result. A positive staining would indicate an epithelial defect or ulcer, which is more characteristic of infectious keratitis or corneal ulcers, not CLARE. Bleached or inconclusive descriptors aren’t standard findings for this condition, and an inconclusive result would lead to reexamination rather than being typical of CLARE.

Fluorescein staining reveals where the corneal epithelium is disrupted, because dye collects in epithelial breaks under cobalt blue light. In CLARE, the problem is inflammatory and related to contact lens wear, but the corneal surface is typically intact without an epithelial defect. So there is no uptake of fluorescein in the cornea, yielding a negative staining result. A positive staining would indicate an epithelial defect or ulcer, which is more characteristic of infectious keratitis or corneal ulcers, not CLARE. Bleached or inconclusive descriptors aren’t standard findings for this condition, and an inconclusive result would lead to reexamination rather than being typical of CLARE.