A Case of Severe Moderate-temperature Facial Burn Due to a Heated Floor in a Japanese Sauna

Abstract

We describe a case of severe facial burn caused by a heated floor. A 63-year-old man with a history of diabetes mellitus fell asleep on a heated floor in a Japanese sauna after drinking a large quantity of alcohol. He sustained a severe moderate-temperature burn of the nose, upper lip, left cheek, and left earlobe. After the patient's general condition had improved, the affected areas were debrided and reconstructed with flaps. The skin and subcutaneous defect of the upper lip were reconstructed with a submental artery perforator flap. The flap survived completely, and the aesthetic result was good because of a simultaneously reconstructed mustache. The pathogenesis of the moderate-temperature burn is explained by the temperature-time curve and is due mainly to a disorder of blood circulation and the individual's condition. We believe that the number of persons sustaining such burns in saunas will increase because of recent health trends in Japan. Therefore, the danger of such burns should be publicized.