Visual outcome of childhood anterior perforating eye injuries: prognostic indicators.
Ninety-six cases of anterior globe perforation in children less than 16 years old, requiring surgical repair, were reviewed. Seventy-three patients were male and 23 female, with a mean age of 9 years 4 months. Perforation involving just the cornea was associated with a good visual prognosis unless: it involved the visual axis, resulting in corneal scarring and/or significant astigmatism (> 3.0 DS); it involved greater than one-quarter of corneal diameter; or there was non-compliance with spectacles/patching in patients younger than 8 years old. Injuries involving the lens in those younger than 8 years were associated with a far worse prognosis due to the problems of correcting aphakia. Surgical delay and method of injury did not affect prognosis. Some patients fail to re-attend and greater patient/parent education prior to discharge is recommended.
Department of Ophthalmology, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge.
R J
RJ
Baxter
P R
PR
Hodgkins
I
I
Calder
A J
AJ
Morrell
S
S
Vardy
A R
AR
Elkington
D000293:Adolescent; D001035:Aphakia / Q000628:therapy; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015807:Eye Injuries, Penetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity