Ocular Surface Injury From a Microwave Superheated Egg Resulting in a Pseudopterygium

Abstract

Microwave superheated eggs can result in ocular injury. This case illustrates the potential ocular danger involved with microwave ovens.

Microwave oven-related injuries treated in hospital EDs in the United States, 1990 to 2010

“…Among egg-related injuries, almost one-quarter occurred to the eye. These findings are consistent with previous reports of injuries associated with explosion of superheated eggs [17][18][19][20][21]. For safety reasons, manufacturers recommend cooking eggs in the microwave only after the shell has been removed and the yolk sac has been pierced with a pin [19].…”

Pseudopterygium: An Algorithm Approach Based on the Current Evidence

“…As a consequence, the barrier function of the limbus is compromised, and the corneal epithelium is replaced with conjunctival epithelial cells. Eye burns [ 7 ], such as chemical [ 26 , 27 , 28 ], thermal [ 63 ], or gases [ 64 ], and previous eye surgery with limbus involvement [ 20 , 29 , 30 ] or ocular surface traumatism [ 31 , 32 ] could produce a deficiency of limbal stem cells that may lead to the appearance of pseudopterygium.…”

“…The leading cause of pseudopterygium in an ocular burn is the destruction of corneal stem cells and the consequential persistent defects of the corneal epithelium [ 28 ]. Several articles in the literature describe cases of pseudopterygium caused by chemical, thermal, and gas burns [ 7 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 63 , 64 ]. For instance, Wang et al described the clinical use of OCT in optimizing surgical treatment strategies for conjunctivalized corneas secondary to ocular burns.…”

Ocular injuries from exploding microwave-cooked eggs

“…Injuries from exploding microwave-heated eggs may include facial or ocular burns and even ocular penetration. 5,4,1,2 We report a case of ocular injury caused by an exploding microwave-cooked poached egg. This case illustrates that even eggs removed from their shells may explode.…”