Carbamazepine-induced facial burns caused by a photocopier

A 36-year-old woman on long-term anticonvulsant therapy with carbamazepine (Tegretol) sustained superficial facial and corneal burns after using a photocopier for 2 h. Photosensitivity is a rare side-effect of carbamazepine therapy, and progression to a superficial burn has not been reported previously. Photocopiers emit a very low level of ultraviolet irradiation: this would not cause burns in a normal patient but could possibly do so in someone who is sensitive to ultraviolet light.