Benzocaine/Lidocaine/Tetracaine Cream: Report of Corneal Damage and Review.

Practitioners are increasingly using topical anesthetics in the field of dermatology. Application of topical anesthetics prior to performing dermatologic procedures has proven to decrease pain and discomfort associated with these procedures. Despite the prevalent use of topical anesthetics, there are few standard guidelines for about which products provide optimal and safest use. Adverse events are often correlated with improper application of topical anesthetics. A few case reports have cited adverse events related to the use of compounded products that the United States Food and Drug Administration has not approved, such as benzocaine, lidocaine, tetracaine. In this article, the authors report the possible ocular side effects due to the use of benzocaine, lidocaine, tetracaine. Careful attention must be paid to this compounded product, and better formulations are needed in order to prevent adverse events.