Cases reported • Eye Injuries

1/276. Epikeratoplasty for traumatic corneal ectasia.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of epikeratoplasty in a case of traumatic corneal ectasia. METHOD: Epikeratoplasty using a manually dissected donor lenticule was used to treat traumatic corneal ectasia after an iron nail injury. RESULT: No intra- or postoperative complication was encountered. At the end of 6 months' follow-up, the patient's best corrected visual acuity was 6/12. CONCLUSION: Epikeratoplasty is a useful technique to treat traumatic corneal ectasia.

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2/276. Paintball ocular injuries.

INTRODUCTION: Six cases of ocular injury following paintball injuries sustained during war games are described. A CO2-powered rifle shoots a 14 mm plastic-coated paintball at participants. The muzzle velocity of the gun is 250 ft/sec (76 m/sec). Locally manufactured paintballs are harder than the more expensive imported varieties and may account for the severity of our reported injuries. METHOD: Six patients presented to a retinal specialist with various ocular injuries, predominantly of the posterior pole. RESULTS: All patients were young males. There were no cases of ocular penetration. A variety of retinal pathologies was noted, with three cases requiring surgery; however this did not significantly improve the visual outcome. CONCLUSIONS: These cases highlight the severe ocular injuries that may occur from paintball injuries. Recommendations to avoid ocular injury are made.

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3/276. Ocular explosion during cataract surgery: a clinical, histopathological, experimental, and biophysical study.

INTRODUCTION: An increasing number of cases are being recognized in which a peribulbar anesthetic for cataract surgery has been inadvertently injected directly into the globe under high pressure until the globe ruptures or explodes. We reviewed the records of 6 such cases (one of which was reported previously by us), and one additional case has been reported in the literature. Surprisingly, 2 of these 7 cases went unrecognized at the time, and the surgeons proceeded with the cataract operation; all of the patients ultimately developed severe visual loss and/or loss of the eye. OBJECTIVES: To reproduce this eye explosion in a live anesthetized rabbit model and to perform a clinical, histopathological, experimental, biophysical, and mathematical analysis of this injury. methods: Eyes of live anesthetized rabbits were ruptured by means of the injection of saline directly into the globe under high pressure. The clinical and pathological findings of the ruptured human and animal eyes were documented photographically and/or histopathologically. An experimental, biophysical, and mathematical analysis of the pressures and forces required to rupture the globe via direct injection using human cadavers, human eye-bank eyes, and classic physics and ophthalmic formulas was performed. The laws of Bernoulli, LaPlace, Friedenwald, and Pascal were applied to the theoretical and experimental models of this phenomenon. RESULTS: The clinical and pathological findings of scleral rupture, retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, and lens extrusion were observed. In the exploded human and rabbit eyes, the scleral ruptures appeared at the equator, the limbal area, or the posterior pole. In 2 of the 7 human eyes, the anterior segments appeared entirely normal despite the rupture, and cataract surgery was completed; surgery was canceled in the other 4 cases. In 4 of the 5 injected and ruptured rabbit eyes, the anterior segments appeared essentially normal. The experiments with human eye-bank eyes and the theoretical analyses of this entity show that the pressure required to produce such an injury is much more easily obtained with a 3- or 5-mL syringe than with a syringe 10 mL or larger. CONCLUSIONS: Explosion of an eyeball during the injection of anesthesia for ocular surgery is a devastating injury that may go unrecognized. The probability of an ocular explosion can be minimized by careful use of a syringe 10 mL or larger with a blunt needle, by discontinuing the injection if resistance is met, and by inspecting the globe prior to ocular massage or placement of a Honan balloon. When ocular explosion occurs, immediate referral to and intervention by a vitreoretinal surgeon is optimal. Practicing ophthalmologists should be aware of this blinding but preventable complication of ocular surgery.

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4/276. Bilateral orbital emphysema from compressed air injury.

PURPOSE: To describe a patient who developed bilateral subconjunctival and orbital emphysema after an automobile tire explosion. METHOD: Case report. RESULTS: A 60-year-old man sustained bilateral ocular injury after a tire explosion. Ophthalmic examination disclosed bilateral subconjunctival air, with no visible conjunctival laceration. Computed tomography showed orbital emphysema, with no evidence of orbital fracture. Follow-up examination 2 weeks after the injury disclosed resolution of the subconjunctival air. Best-corrected visual acuity in the right eye was decreased after the explosion but improved to the baseline level of 20/40 2 weeks after the injury. CONCLUSION: Subconjunctival and orbital emphysema can occur from high-pressure air injury in the absence of an obvious entry site.

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5/276. Elastic cord-induced cyclodialysis cleft and hypotony maculopathy.

We describe a case of hypotony maculopathy in which hypotony was due to a cyclodialysis cleft produced by an elastic cord injury. Sixteen months after being hit with an elastic cord, a 43-year-old white male presented with progressive loss of vision in the right eye. The visual acuity in the right eye was 1/200 due, in part, to a subluxated and cataractous lens. The intraocular pressure (IOP) was 4 mm Hg. gonioscopy revealed a cyclodialysis cleft at the 2 o'clock position, and fundus examination showed hypotony maculopathy. The patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy, pars plana lensectomy, repair of the cyclodialysis cleft, placement of an anterior chamber intraocular lens, and tightly sutured trabeculectomy without antimetabolite. Sixteen months following surgery, visual acuity was stable at 20/60 and IOP was 11 mm Hg but the chorioretinal folds persisted.

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6/276. eye injuries associated with paintball guns.

AIMS: This study identifies the various types of ocular injuries sustained after blunt trauma with a paintball fired from a paintball gun. methods: We report two patients who sustained injury to an eye after being shot with a paintball and review similar cases presented in the world literature. The type of injury sustained and the final visual acuity obtained after a paintball hit to the eye are examined. RESULTS: The two boys presented were hit in the eye with a paintball resulting in lens subluxation, hyphema formation, and angle recession. cataract extraction was required in both cases. One boy also had an optic neuropathy and a choroidal rupture. A review of the literature reveals a variety of injuries occur after a paintball hit to the eye. In some of the cases, the damage to the eye has led to loss of vision and at times loss of the eye. CONCLUSIONS: Paintball guns can cause devastating ocular injuries. Wearing protective eye and face gear during this game is essential. We recommend that an anti-fog face mask with a one-piece polycarbonate eye shield be worn by those participating in paintball games.

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7/276. Penetrating ocular injury with a fetal scalp monitoring spiral electrode.

PURPOSE: To report a penetrating ocular injury resulting from inadvertent placement of a fetal scalp monitoring spiral electrode into the right eye of a preterm male with a face presentation.methods: Case report and review of the literature. RESULTS: A spiral electrode was screwed clockwise into the right eye, tearing the inferior retina and creating two inferior iridotomies. Severe myopic astigmatism resulted from gradual lens dislocation combined with elongation of the eye. Despite persistent occlusive therapy and aggressive optical correction, before and after lensectomy at age 3 years, visual acuity was only 20/200 at age 8 years. CONCLUSIONS: Although complications from spiral monitoring electrodes are uncommon, this case emphasizes that before inserting a spiral monitoring electrode during labor, face presentation must be excluded to prevent inadvertent ocular injury.

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8/276. Macular injury by a military range finder.

OBJECTIVE: The authors report the clinical findings of a civilian patient who unintentionally looked into the laser beam of a military range finder. Detailed information on the range finder is given. The objective is to illustrate the potential danger of such devices and to give detailed information on the device, the clinical findings associated with exposure, and the laser-tissue interaction mechanism. methods: The patient was examined with fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography, microperimetry, and optical coherence tomography, both in the acute stage (2 hours) and 4 weeks later. fluorescein angiography was performed again 4 months later. A total of 100 mg prednisone tapered over 9 days was prescribed. Additionally, 50 microg tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) and 0.5 mL pure C2F6 were injected in the vitreous. RESULTS: In the acute phase, hemorrhage was located beneath the retina, primarily beneath the retinal pigment epithelium. Retinal defects as seen initially over the subretinal blood were reduced after 4 weeks, but a retinal defect ranging from the lasered site toward the fovea remained. visual acuity slightly increased from 20/100 to 20/63 after 4 weeks. indocyanine green angiography showed a large hypofluorescent spot in the macula. Four months after the accident, a classic choroidal neovascularization developed, originating from the lasered site. The technical parameters of the range finder were: Nd:YAG laser (1,064 nm), pulse duration 10 ns, beam divergence 1.5 mrad, energy 10 mJ. CONCLUSION: A range finder can produce severe macular injury. The primary laser-tissue interaction mechanism seems to be explosive disruption of choroidal tissue. Intravitreal injection of TPA and C2F6 did not show a clear benefit to such laser lesions. A late complication can be secondary choroidal neovascularization.

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9/276. Increasing paintball related eye trauma reported to a state eye injury registry.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate an apparent increase in documented trauma from paintball related eye injuries reported to the Eye Injury Registry of indiana. methods: A retrospective review of cases reported to the database is reported, with representative case histories. RESULTS: No injuries from paintball were reported during the period June 1992 to June 1996. Over the next two years 11 injuries were reported, representing 4% of all ocular trauma reports over this period. Visual outcome is poor in many of these eyes and more than one half present with posterior segment ocular injury. CONCLUSIONS: Severe ocular trauma results from impacts from paintball pellets, and the occurrence of injuries appears to be increasing due to growth in popularity of this war game. Diligent use of eye protection by all participants is necessary to prevent a continuing rise in ocular trauma prevalence from this activity.

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10/276. vibrio vulnificus corneal ulcer: rapid resolution of a virulent pathogen.

PURPOSE: To describe a corneal ulcer due to vibrio vulnificus that resolved rapidly with antibiotic therapy alone. METHOD: Case report and review of literature. RESULTS: This is the third reported case of corneal ulcer due to V. vulnificus. All followed trauma sustained during oyster shucking. Both prior cases required invasive therapy to achieve a cure. Our case responded rapidly to hourly treatment with ciprofloxacin, Neosporin, and fortified vancomycin. CONCLUSION: V. vulnificus is a virulent pathogen that can infect the cornea after shellfish injury to the eye. Clinical suspicion and early therapy with appropriate antibiotics can lead to an excellent outcome.

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