Delayed healing of the cornea is most commonly associated with which treatment?

• A. Doxycycline
• B. Topical and oral steroids
• C. NSAIDs
• D. Cyclosporine

Answer: (B)

Corticosteroids slow corneal wound healing by dampening the cellular processes needed for repair. They blunt epithelial cell migration and proliferation, reduce the ability of epithelial cells to adhere and cover the defect, and suppress stromal keratocyte activity and collagen synthesis. This combination weakens the repair process and prolongs both epithelial restitution and subsequent stromal remodeling. Because steroids also dampen immune responses, they can mask infection and allow ongoing tissue damage, further delaying healing. Doxycycline, by contrast, can help healing in some corneal melt conditions through matrix metalloproteinase inhibition; NSAIDs can delay healing but are less consistently associated, and cyclosporine does not typically cause delayed healing. Hence, topical and oral steroids are most commonly linked to delayed corneal healing.