Prognosis of penetrating eye injuries with posterior segment intraocular foreign body

Abstract

Purpose

To identify the prognostic factors concerning the anatomy and visual acuity of eyes subject to trauma related posterior intraocular foreign body.

Patients and methods

The records of 28 eyes of 27 patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy and intraocular foreign body removal during a 5 year period were retrospectively reviewed. Ocular trauma score was calculated for each eye.

Results

The most common initial findings were corneal wound (68%), lens injury (50%), retinal lesion (50%), vitreous hemorrhage (25%), and endophthalmitis (14%). Multiple foreign body causing perforating injury with retained posterior segment foreign body occurred in 7% of the cases. The foreign body was found on the surface of the retina in 39% of the cases. Postoperative complications were retinal detachment (46%), proliferative vitreoretinopathy (25%), and phthysis (4%). No eye was enucleated and 1 eye (4%) lost light perception. The final best corrected visual acuity became better or equal to 0.5 Snellen E in 34% of the eyes. The mean follow-up was 19 months (1.5–60 months).

Conclusions

Prognosis was significantly worse in cases with lower trauma score, initial visual acuity less than 0.1 Snellen E, large foreign body, upset of bacterial endophthalmitis, and with proliferative vitreo-retinopathy. Visual outcomes in our cases were better than estimated follow-up visual acuity based on ocular trauma score parameters.