Contact thermal burns of the cornea

The records of 59 patients (66 eyes) with contact thermal burns of the cornea (unilateral in 52 cases and bilateral in 7) were reviewed to determine the causes, clinical presentation, management and complications of such injuries. Most of the injuries (90%) occurred at home. The commonest cause was splashing of boiling fluids (42% of cases), followed by contact with red-hot firecracker particles (18%) and lit match heads (17%). In 59 eyes (89%) the burn was limited to the corneal epithelium, in 5 (8%) the superficial stroma was also involved, and in 2 (3%) there was associated corneal perforation caused by mechanical impact of foreign bodies. Débridement of the coagulated epithelium with patching was the most successful treatment, healing 48 (73%) of the eyes. Postburn complications were rare, the most common being development of inferior symblepharon, in three eyes (4%).