What test confirms the diagnosis of a corneal abrasion?

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Staining the cornea with fluorescein is how a corneal abrasion is confirmed. When the corneal epithelium is scratched, the surface integrity is disrupted and the fluorescein dye penetrates the exposed stroma. Under cobalt blue light, the dye glows bright green and highlights the defect, making the abrasion easy to see and delineate. A slit-lamp examination is the tool used to visualize the cornea and, when used with the dye, helps confirm the finding, but the test that directly reveals the epithelial disruption is the fluorescein staining. Tonometry measures pressure and visual acuity tests gauge vision quality; neither specifically confirms a corneal abrasion.