Paintball related ocular injuries: First case report in Saudi patients

Abstract

Paintball is a popular recreational sport. This case series describes three Saudi patients exposed to paintball ocular injuries with sever ocular trauma. Two patients developed hyphema and traumatic cataract and one patient had vitreous hemorrhage, choroidal detachment, commotio retinae and retinal tear. All patients require surgical intervention. Final best corrected visual acuity was 20/200, 20/30 and 20/50 respectively. Paintball related ocular injuries can result in severe visual loss and in most of the time requires surgical intervention. Most injuries occur in under-supervised settings and are easily preventable. Our main aim was to increase awareness among local ophthalmologists and eye professionals about this new game. Improved safety measures and appropriate public education could prevent such serious ocular injuries.

Keywords: Eye injuries; Ocular; Paintball; Trauma.

Figure 1

Fundus photography of the right eye showed commotio retinae inferiorly involving the macula was seen in case 1.

Figure 2

Slit lamp biomicroscopy of the left eye revealed clotted hyphema with ruptured sphincter muscles (A); slit lamp biomicroscopy of the left eye revealed posterior and anterior sub-capsular cataract (B).