Irrigation with phosphate-buffered saline causes corneal calcification during treatment of ocular burns

Publication date: Available online 16 October 2019Source: BurnsAuthor(s): N.F. Schrage, Sabah S. Abu, L. Hermanns, C. Panfil, R.M. DutescuAbstractCorneal calcification is a vision-threatening manifestation of calcium containing agents in ocular burn. As we previously reported, our interest was sparked by a particular discrepancy of a case: A patient treated for a non-calcium containing agent in eye burn from exposure to an alkaline mixture of NaOH and KOH, who unexpectedly developed corneal calcification. This current study aims to elucidate whether the 2 min lasting irrigation with a phosphate-buffered saline itself, regardless of rinsing regimen, triggers corneal calcification. The Ex Vivo Eye Irritation Test (EVEIT) system was used on rabbit corneas to replicate the very same phosphate-buffered saline solution the patient was treated with. The rabbit corneas were first burned with 1 M NaOH, rinsed with 4.9% phosphate-buffered saline for 2 min, and were then moisturized with an artificial tear solution for 48 h. All corneas were fluorescein-stained for photo documentation, snap-frozen, lyophilizated, and the electrolyte content was analyzed by Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The EDX analysis revealed pathological phosphorous in corneal stroma after a single rinsing with phosphate-buffered saline. Ongoing application of artificial tears containing physiological 14.581 mmol Ca2+ /l led to macroscopically visible calcification, but only in areas of ind...
Source: Burns - Category: Dermatology Source Type: research