LAUSR

Ultramarathon-induced corneal edema (UMICE) is a transient, painless loss of vision due to corneal edema most commonly reported in foot races longer than 42.2 km (ultramarathons). The vision loss can be profound and tends to worsen while exercise persists, but resolves spontaneously within hours to days following exercise (1–5). UMICE is theorized to be caused by lactate build-up in the cornea because of the combination of external corneal irritation and systemic rise in lactic acid (1–3). History of refractive surgery appears to be associated with the development of UMICE (1). Protective eyewear and lubricating eye drops may help prevent this condition (1,2). There is no known effective treatment except cessation of exercise once the condition develops. Although the condition has been given various names, we find UMICE, also used by Moshirfar et al. (3), to be the most descriptive.