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.