[Burns by electric scalpel blade: four cases]

A burn due to the plate of a diathermy knife is a rare but serious accident owing to the depth of the lesion and its localization, especially when it occurs in a surgical context that creates difficulties for both the patient and the surgeon. Such burns are unpredictable and also serious not only because of their location but also because they occur during a surgical operation in patients who are already ill. Such burns have to be dealt with by specialists. Prevention is the only way of avoiding this kind of accident.