Ocular explosion after peribulbar anesthesia: case report and experimental study.
OBJECTIVE
A peribulbar anesthetic injection for cataract surgery produced a 10.5-mm scleral laceration and lens extrusion. This study sought to recreate this unfortunate clinical situation.


METHODS
Twenty-one human eye bank eyes were ruptured by intraocular injection of saline through Atkinson needles. The hydrostatic pressure required for globe rupture was measured by three different techniques in seven globes.


RESULTS
Forty-eight percent of the scleral lacerations were equatorial and 52% were perilimbal. Lens extrusion occurred with three of the perilimbal lacerations. Rupture pressures by each technique averaged 3065, 4972, and 5648 mmHg.


CONCLUSIONS
Peribulbar injection can produce inadvertent ocular explosion.
Magnante
D O
DO
Wright State University School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, Dayton, Ohio 45429-3487, USA.
Bullock
J D
JD
Green
W R
WR
D000368:Aged; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007267:Injections / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology; D012421:Rupture; D012590:Sclera / Q000473:pathology; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage
D012965:Sodium Chloride