Eye pain in the white and quiet eye

Purpose of review: Eye pain is one of the most common presenting symptoms in ophthalmology. It can range from bothersome to debilitating for patients, and it can be vexing for clinicians, especially in the white and quiet eye. The purpose of this review is to provide updates of recent literature regarding eye pain and to communicate our current understanding regarding the evaluation and management of conditions that cause eye pain with a relatively normal examination.

Recent findings: This review concerns recent literature regarding eye pain in the white and quiet eye. It is arranged by cause of pain and discusses dry eye syndrome, recurrent corneal erosion, postrefractive surgical pain, eye strain, intermittent angle closure, benign essential blepharospasm, trochleodynia, trochleitis and trochlear headache, and posterior scleritis.

Summary: Eye pain in the white and quiet eye remains a difficult-to-navigate topic for practitioners. However, a careful history and focused physical examination can elucidate the diagnosis in many cases. Recent updates to the literature have advanced our knowledge of how to identify and treat the underlying causes of eye pain.