Intraocular Foreign Bodies: Clinical Characteristics and Visual Prognosis

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To determine the clinical characteristics and visual prognosis of intraocular foreign bodies (IOFBs). METHODS: We analyzed the patients with surgical removal of IOFB and follow-up of 4 months or longer. RESULTS: Of all 126 eyes of 126 patients, 118 patients (93.6%) were men and mean age was 42.7 years. The cause was lawn mower in 49 eyes (38.9%). Metal composition was in 114 eyes (90.5%), corneal inlet was present in 101 eyes (80.2%) and posterior location was in 97 eyes (73.0%) were there. Visual acuity was worse than 0.04 in 77 eyes (61.1%) before operation and in 36 eyes (28.6%) at the final visit. The final visual acuity was significantly related with initial visual acuity (criterion 0.1, P=0.001), wound length (criterion 3 mm, P< 0.001), location (anterior vs. posterior location, P< 0.001) and size (criterion 3mm, P< 0.001) of IOFB, traumatic cataract (P=0.011), vitreous hemorrhage (P=0.001) and retinal tear (P< 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION: Lawn mower is the main cause of IOFB and the countermeasure should be needed for it. Initial visual acuity, location and size of IOFB, wound length, vitreous hemorrhage and retinal tear may be the important factors on visual prognosis of IOFB.