Corneal Burn Caused by Carbon Dioxide Ultrapulsed Laser for Nevus Removal

Young Hi Kim; Min Won Ahn; Jong Soo Lee

doi:10.3341/jkos.2014.55.9.1376

Journal List > J Korean Ophthalmol Soc > v.55(9) > 1009788

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Kim, Ahn, and Lee: Corneal Burn Caused by Carbon Dioxide Ultrapulsed Laser for Nevus Removal

Case Report

J Korean Ophthalmol Soc 2014;55(9):1376-1379.

Published online: 2 September 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2014.55.9.1376

Corneal Burn Caused by Carbon Dioxide Ultrapulsed Laser for Nevus Removal

Young Hi Kim, MD¹, Min Won Ahn, MD², Jong Soo Lee, MD, PhD^2,

¹B&G Eye Clinic, Busan, Korea

²Department of Ophthalmology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan, Korea

Address reprint requests to Jong Soo Lee, MD, PhD, Department of Ophthalmology, Pusan National University Hospital, #179 Gudeok-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-739, Korea, Tel: 82-51-240-7323, Fax: 82-51-242-7341, E-mail: jongsool@pusan.ac.kr

Received 21 March 2014 Revised 1 June 2014 Accepted 17 July 2014

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

Periocular carbon dioxide ultrapulsed laser surgery can induce ocular damage. Herein we report a rare case of corneal burn after carbon dioxide ultrapulsed laser for nevus removal.

Case summary

A 25-year-old female patient presented with ocular pain, decreased visual acuity, and metamorphopsia in the left eye after laser surgery for nevus removal at a dermatology clinic 4 days prior. The patient's best corrected visual acuity in the left eye was 20/100. Central corneal haziness and corneal epithelial defect were observed on biomicroscopic examination. Antibiotics, steroid and artificial tear eye drops were administered for treatment. Glasses were prescribed to correct refraction errors. After 2 months of treatment, the best corrected visual acuity in the left eye recovered to 20/50, and corneal epithelial defect was mostly healed, however corneal haziness remained.

Conclusions

Carbon dioxide ultrapulsed laser is commonly used in dermatological treatments. The use of an eye shield is important during this procedure, and possibility of ocular surface damage from laser treatment should be considered.

Keywords: Carbon dioxide ultrapulsed laser, CO₂ laser, Corneal burn, Eye shield, Nevus removal

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Figure 1.

Corneal haziness and epithelial defect, staining of fluorescein were seen on left eye (arrow indicated). i-Trace^® (Tracey Technology Inc., Houston, TX) topographic image, it is corresponded to corneal lesion. Local ROC Map = tangential map.

Figure 2.

Corneal mild haziness remained but epithelial defect was healed on left eye (arrow indicated). On i-Trace^® (Tracey Technology Inc., Houston, TX) topographic image, astigmatism and irregular surface were partially recovered.

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