Abstract:  Objective · To investigate the value of technique of improved ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) in the clinical diagnosis of moderate and severe symblepharon after thermal and chemical ocular surface burns.  Methods · The clinical data of 33 patients (33 eyes) who had suffered moderate and severe symblepharon after thermal and chemical ocular surface burns were retrospectively analyzed. Improved UBM was applied in the examination of the anterior segment injury, through which the cornea, anterior chamber, iris, anterior chamber angle, ciliary body and lens were analyzed carefully. Also the connection between severity of symblepharon and anterior segment injury was discussed.  Results · All the 33 eyes were examined by the UBM. Corneal opacity of more than 1/2 depth of the corneal was detected in 29 eyes, and detachment of the corneal elastic layer in 1 eye, corneal interstitial fluid in 4 eyes, corneal thinning in 2 eyes, anterior synechia of iris in 6 eyes, posterior synechia of iris in 2 eyes, shallower anterior chamber in 2 eyes, exudate in the anterior chamber in 1 eye, narrow anterior chamber angle in 6 eyes, high echo of lens in 6 eyes. The anterior segment injury in severe symblepharon eyes was worse than that in moderate symblepharon eyes.  Conclusion · UBM is a noninvasive diagnostic technique, which can be used in the meticulous detection of the anterior segment of moderate and severe symblepharon patients after a slight improvement of inspection methods. It can show the pathological changes that cannot be revealed by routine ophthalmologic examination, and provide guidance for estimating the severity of the disease, the choice of surgical plan and prognosis of patients.

Key words: thermal and chemical ocular surface burns, symblepharon, ultrasound biomicroscopy, anterior segment injury