A Case of Keratoconjunctival Chemical Injury from a Topical Anesthetic Ointment.
10.3341/jkos.2012.53.7.1030
- Author:
Jin Hee SHIN
1
;
Jin Kwon CHUNG
Author Information
1. Department of Ophthalmology, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. schcornea@schmc.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Alkaline;
Chemical injury;
Topical anesthetic ointment
- MeSH:
Anti-Bacterial Agents;
Dermatologic Surgical Procedures;
Eye;
Eyelids;
Female;
Forehead;
Humans;
Lifting;
Middle Aged;
Ophthalmic Solutions;
Steroids;
Visual Acuity
- From:Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society
2012;53(7):1030-1034
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: To report a case of keratoconjunctival chemical injury caused by exposure to EMLA(R) 5% cream. CASE SUMMARY: A 51-year-old woman presented with ocular pain and decreased visual acuity in her left eye after an autologous fat injection for forehead lifting. At her initial visit, her best corrected visual acuity was 20/40 in the left eye. Slit-lamp examination showed a diffuse corneal epithelial defect and conjunctival injection. Based on history of inadvertent seepage of EMLA(R) 5% cream into the left eye and clinical findings consistent with chemical injury, the patient was treated with antibiotics, steroids, and artificial tears. Two weeks after treatment, several corneal erosions remained, and best corrected visual acuity improved to 20/20. After two months, the corneal and conjunctival epithelia were healed. CONCLUSIONS: EMLA(R) 5% cream is commonly used as topical anesthetic ointment for dermatologic surgery, including laser procedures. The cream is highly alkaline and can cause chemical injury to the eye, thus extreme caution should be used when applying the cream to the eyelid or face.
