{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:38:33Z","timestamp":1760060313317,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":21,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,17]],"date-time":"2025-08-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1755388800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background and Clinical Significance: This case report highlights the rare but potentially sight-threatening presentation of corneal ulcers associated with methamphetamine abuse. Identifying the signs of illicit drug use is critical, as ocular complications may be overlooked without proper social history or lab confirmation. Case Presentation: A 48-year-old Hispanic male presented with progressive bilateral vision loss over four weeks, describing his condition as \u201cblind vision.\u201d Two weeks earlier, he had visited the emergency room after a fall caused by impaired vision and was prescribed insulin, metronidazole, and fluoroquinolone drops. At ophthalmology follow-up, visual acuity was 20\/400 OD and 20\/800 OS. Examination revealed bilateral stromal corneal ulcers with infiltrates. Notable systemic signs\u2014pockmarks, poor dentition, thin body habitus, and jittery behavior\u2014raised suspicion for methamphetamine use. He was treated with bandage contact lenses, dehydrated amniotic membranes, and a steroid-antibiotic combination drop. Conclusions: This case underscores the importance of recognizing physical signs of methamphetamine abuse, even in the absence of disclosed history. Emergency room laboratory testing confirmed methamphetamine use. Awareness of drug-induced ocular effects allows for appropriate patient education, timely intervention, and referral to addiction services. Patients should be warned that continued drug use may result in irreversible vision loss.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/reports8030147","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,18]],"date-time":"2025-08-18T07:53:12Z","timestamp":1755503592000},"page":"147","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Methamphetamine-Associated Corneal Ulcer: Case Report"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"given":"Amy","family":"Conner","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Focal Point Vision, 4775 Hamilton Wolfe, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5215-0594","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Brian K.","family":"Foutch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rosenberg School of Optometry, University of the Incarnate Word, 9725 Datapoint Drive, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Mannis, M.J., and Holland, E.J. (2017). The Corneal Ulcer. Cornea, Elsevier. [4th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"214","article-title":"Methamphetamine and the expanding complications of amphetamines","volume":"170","author":"Albertson","year":"1999","journal-title":"West J. Med."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (2025, June 20). What Is Methamphetamine?, Available online: https:\/\/nida.nih.gov\/research-topics\/methamphetamine#what-is-amphetamine."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"477","DOI":"10.1097\/00003226-199609000-00007","article-title":"Keratitis in methamphetamine abusers","volume":"15","author":"Poulsen","year":"1996","journal-title":"Cornea"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1080\/02791072.2000.10400221","article-title":"Methamphetamine: History, Pharmacology, and Treatment","volume":"32","author":"Anglin","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Psychoact. Drugs"},{"key":"ref_6","unstructured":"Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (2025, June 20). 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Available online: https:\/\/www.samhsa.gov\/data\/report\/2018-nsduh-annual-national-report."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"298","DOI":"10.1016\/0039-6257(86)90062-7","article-title":"Ocular manifestations of drug abuse","volume":"30","author":"McLane","year":"1986","journal-title":"Surv. Ophthalmol."},{"key":"ref_8","first-page":"571","article-title":"Diagnosis and management of neurotrophic keratitis","volume":"8","author":"Sacchetti","year":"2014","journal-title":"Clin. Ophthalmol."},{"key":"ref_9","first-page":"e225557","article-title":"Corneal Ulcer as the Presenting Feature of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus","volume":"11","author":"Sivasankar","year":"2018","journal-title":"BMJ Case Rep."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"85","DOI":"10.2147\/OPTH.S447138","article-title":"Fungal Keratitis: Diagnosis, Management, and Recent Advances","volume":"10","author":"Awad","year":"2024","journal-title":"Clin. Ophthalmol."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"89934","DOI":"10.5501\/wjv.v13.i1.89934","article-title":"Herpes simplex keratitis: A brief clinical overview","volume":"13","author":"Musa","year":"2024","journal-title":"World J. Virol."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"182","DOI":"10.1097\/OPX.0000000000001664","article-title":"American Academy of Optometry Microbial Keratitis Think Tank","volume":"98","author":"Shovlin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Optom. Vis. Sci."},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"Krachmer, J.H., Mannis, M.J., and Holland, E.J. (2011). Cornea: Fundamentals, Diagnosis and Management, Mosby Elsevier. [3rd ed.]."},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"Davis, K., and Slowiczek, L. (2025, June 22). Methamphetamine: Facts, Effects, and Health Risks. Medical News Today, Available online: https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/309287."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101464","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajoc.2022.101464","article-title":"Ophthalmic complications associated with methamphetamine use disorder","volume":"26","author":"Huang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am. J. Ophthalmol. Case Rep."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1600-0420.2005.00551.x","article-title":"Monoamine receptors in human corneal epithelium and endothelium","volume":"84","author":"Grueb","year":"2006","journal-title":"Acta Ophthalmol. Scand."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"989","DOI":"10.1038\/sj.eye.6700616","article-title":"Neurotrophic keratitis","volume":"17","author":"Bonini","year":"2003","journal-title":"Eye"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1016\/j.preteyeres.2018.04.003","article-title":"Neurotrophic Keratopathy","volume":"66","author":"Dua","year":"2018","journal-title":"Prog. Retin. Eye Res."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"627","DOI":"10.1093\/nutrit\/nuaa095","article-title":"Nutritional status and eating habits of people who use drugs and\/or are undergoing treatment for recovery: A narrative review","volume":"79","author":"Mahboub","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nutr. Rev."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Huang, Y., Nguyen, N.V., Mammo, D.A., Albini, T.A., Hayek, B.R., Timperley, B.D., Krueger, R.R., and Yeh, S. (2023). Vision health perspectives on Breaking Bad: Ophthalmic sequelae of methamphetamine use disorder. Front. Toxicol., 8.","DOI":"10.3389\/ftox.2023.1135792"},{"key":"ref_21","first-page":"e86231","article-title":"Effectiveness of Amniotic Membrane Transplantation in Corneal Ulcer Healing: A Systematic Review","volume":"16","author":"Bista","year":"2024","journal-title":"Cureus"}],"container-title":["Reports"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2571-841X\/8\/3\/147\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,9]],"date-time":"2025-10-09T18:29:19Z","timestamp":1760034559000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2571-841X\/8\/3\/147"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,17]]},"references-count":21,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9]]}},"alternative-id":["reports8030147"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/reports8030147","relation":{},"ISSN":["2571-841X"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2571-841X"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,17]]}}}