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Case Reports
. 2016 Jul-Sep;23(3):274-6.
doi: 10.4103/0974-9233.186157.

Corneal Epitheliopathy After Trauma by Fake Snow Powder in a 7-year-old Child

Mohammad A Al-Amry  1 , Huda A Al-Ghadeer  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Corneal Epitheliopathy After Trauma by Fake Snow Powder in a 7-year-old Child

Mohammad A Al-Amry et al. Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol. 2016 Jul-Sep.

Abstract

Fake snow is a polymer of sodium polyacrylates used in games and celebrations. Despite the product leaflet that indicates safety, contact with the ocular surface can cause injury. We report a case of a child with corneal epitheliopathy due to a chemical burn injury after ocular surface contact with fake snow. The case was managed with epithelial debridement and a bandage contact lenses and topical antibiotics with complete resolution.

Keywords: Corneal Chemical Burn; Corneal Epitheliopathy; Epithelium; Fake Snow; Polyacrylate; Trauma.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(a) slit lamp photography of the left cornea showing large epithelial defect with sick, pale redundant epithelial flap with white granules of fake snow sticking to its undersurface; (b) stromal haziness with toxic reaction
Figure 2
Figure 2
(a) sample of the fake snow granules (dry state); (b) the granules will expand about 100 times its original volume after adding water and becoming fluffy and sticky; (c) the scanning electron microscope showing the polymer nature of the granules; (d) energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer of the fake snow granules showing its mineral composition
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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