A Clinical Evaluation of Intraocular Foreign Bodies

ABSTRACT

Penetrating ocular injuries with retined intraocular foreign bodies(IOFB) may result in significant visual morbidity. Although appropriate use of microsurgical and vitreoretinal surgical techniques can salvage a high percentage of even the most severely traumatized globes with retained IOFB, questions remain about optimal care for these eyes. The authors analysed the results and prognostic factors in 78 cases of penetrating oculr injuries with retained IOFB who were managed at the Pusan National University Hospital from Jan. 1985 to Dec. 1989. The majority of patients were young adult males in their twenties and thirties. The nature of the IOFB was mostly a magnetic property(88.5%), and the causes of injury were hammering in 67.9% of all cases. The majority of the size of IOFB(maximal length) was over 2mm, and most of the IOFB(75.6%) was located at the posterior segment of the eyeball; and the larger the object, the more it was posteriorly located. Success rate of IOFB removal was 91.0%, and 59.0% of all cases were removed through pars plana. Preoperative complications included cataract(48.7%), vitreous hemorrhage(38.5%), and the most common postoperative complication was retinal detachment(10.3%). In our study, better visual result was obtained in cases of better initial visual acuity, smaller size of IOFB, shorter retention time of IOFB in eyeball, and anterior rather than posterior location of the IOFB in the eyeball.