Molten metal ocular burn: long-term outcome using simple limbal epithelial transplantation

One day after molten aluminium had fallen into his right eye, a young man presented to our clinic with a vision of counting fingers at 1 m, conjunctival and corneal epithelial defects, and limbal involvement. He was diagnosed with grade 4 thermal burn and managed medically. Subsequently, the inflammation resolved, however, he developed pannus with conjunctivalisation and scarring of cornea suggestive of partial unilateral limbal stem cell deficiency. He was treated surgically with autologous simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET). Postoperatively, his vision improved along with corneal clarity. He achieved a best corrected vision of 20/50 at the last follow-up 27 months postsurgery, with maintenance of a healthy corneal epithelium. This case describes the different management strategies employed in two different stages of an ocular burn. It highlights the long-term success of SLET in a case of ocular surface thermal burn.