title: [A case of button battery-induced corneal and conjunctive burn injury and experimental findings of local damage].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report a case of button battery-induced alkaline burn injury of the cornea and conjunctiva, with experimental findings of local damage.
  
  
  METHODS
  A three-year-old girl had a hard and polished white opacity on the nasal lower cornea and conjunctival injection, caused by a button battery remaining in the conjunctival sac for several hours. The ocular surface was washed carefully with distilled water. The opacity improved gradually over several months and scarring was replaced by secondary pterygium.
  
  
  METHODS
  A button battery was placed on an eyeball of a pig, with the cathode directed toward the cornea. Corneal opacity developed in five minutes and increased thereafter. Another battery was sanded with saline-soaked gauze and the gauze near the cathode turned dark brown. This change intensified when the gauze was in contact with the side of the battery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cornea and conjunctiva of the patient were damaged by continuous exposure to alkaline solution (concentrated NaOH) after the button battery had entered the lacrimal sac causing fixation by chemosis. The recent development of smaller batteries increases the risk of similar accidents. Button battery-induced burn injuries may be severe and require immediate correct diagnosis and treatment, especially in small children who may be difficult to examine.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. ogasawara@jikei.ac.jp
authors: Mikihide
authors: M
authors: Ogasawara
authors: Satoshi
authors: S
authors: Goto
authors: Takuya
authors: T
authors: Shiba
authors: Kenji
authors: K
authors: Ohno
authors: Tomohiro
authors: T
authors: Shibata
authors: Ken-ichi
authors: K
authors: Kouzaki
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Tsuneoka
mesh_terms: D000468:Alkalies / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003228:Conjunctiva / Q000293:injuries*; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000209:etiology; D011211:Electric Power Supplies / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005129:Eye Foreign Bodies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000468:Alkalies