Posters

Confocal microscopy and anterior segment optical coherence tomography findings after chemical alkali corneal burn

Poster Details

First Author: K.Tsoulnaras GREECE

Co Author(s):    D. Liakopoulos   M. Grentzelos   A. Pallikaris   G. Kymionis     

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To report confocal microscopy (CM) and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) findings of a patient with chemical alkali corneal burn.

Setting:

Vardinoyiannion Eye Institute of Crete (VEIC), Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Methods:

This is a case report of a 25-year-old male patient that presented in the ophthalmological emergency department with chemical burn caused by industrial potassium soap in his left eye (involving the cornea and the conjunctiva). The patient was treated with copious irrigation, topical antibiotics, corticosteroids, and systemic ascorbic acid until full re-epithelialization. Two weeks later (one month after the chemical burn), slit lamp examination revealed a corneal stromal line and further investigation performed with CM and AS-OCT in order to investigate the corneal status.

Results:

AS-OCT scan demonstrated a clearly visible hyperreflective line in the deeper layers of corneal stroma. CM showed absence of keratocyte cells in the anterior corneal stroma, areas of hyperreflectivity and disorganized corneal lamellae generating hyperreflective needle-like structures, striae, and probable mononuclear cells. Two months later the demarcation line was absent in the slit lamp examination and the AS-OCT display, while CM showed repopulation of the anterior corneal stroma with active keratocytes.

Conclusions:

This is the first report of stromal demarcation line appeared after corneal chemical burn with alkali. It is possible that the depth of this line correlates to the extent of the corneal damage and could indicate its severity. FINANCIAL DISCLOUSRE: NONE