To investigate the clinical features and prevention of ocular injuries associated with the mistaken use of superglue as eyedrops.

Medical records of 13 patients with ocular superglue injury who visited our hospital from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2004 were analyzed. The clinical features of ocular superglue injury and causes of using superglue instead of eyedrops for each patient were analyzed.

The present study involved 15 eyes of 13 patients, including seven men (53.8%) and six women (46.2%), ranging from 6 to 72 years of age, with a mean age of 38.4 years. Ocular superglue injuries were corneal abrasion in all patients. The bonding of eyelids (eight cases, 61.5%) and eyelashes (two cases, 15.4%) were identified. Ocular injuries were treated conservatively and resolved without complications. The major cause of mistaken use of superglue was similarly packaged eye drops (11 cases, 84.6%). Other causes included poor eyesight (one case) and unsupervised children (one case).

The availability of eyedrops in various ocular diseases has recently increased, and superglue is found in many households, wherefore incidence of ocular superglue injuries can increase. Therefore, modifying the design of superglue bottles and providing proper education for patients to prevent ocular superglue injury is important.