What is the purpose of using curly braces in PHP code, and what potential pitfalls can arise from their incorrect usage?

Using curly braces in PHP code is essential for defining blocks of code within control structures like loops and conditional statements. Omitting or incorrectly using curly braces can lead to syntax errors or unexpected behavior in your code. Always ensure that curly braces are properly matched and used to enclose the appropriate code blocks.

// Incorrect usage of curly braces
if ($condition)
    echo "Condition is true";
    echo "This line always gets executed";

// Corrected code with curly braces
if ($condition) {
    echo "Condition is true";
    echo "This line only gets executed if the condition is true";
}