title: Penetrating needle injury of the eye.
abstract: This retrospective case series reviews the characteristics, complications and epidemiology of penetrating needle eye injury treated at a referral eye centre in Tehran, over 5 years. The medical records of 27 patients were evaluated. Mean age of patients was 17.41+/-18.69 years; 63% were less than 12 years old. Accident was the cause of 61.5% of injuries, and 55% of injuries occurred at home. Endophthalmitis ensued in 22.2% and cataract in 51.9% of cases. Pars plana vitrectomy was performed for 25.9% of patients. There was no association between endophthalmitis and iris prolapse, zonal involvement, vitreous haemorrhage, traumatic cataract or visual acuity >20/200 on admission, but endophthalmitis was associated with absence of hyphaema at presentation. Families and children should be educated about the dangers of needles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, University of Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehdi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nili-Ahmadabadi
authors.forename: Hooshang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Faghihi
authors.forename: Fedra
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hadjizadeh
authors.forename: Seyed Ahmad
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rasoolinejad
authors.forename: Mohammad Taher
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rajabi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D009877:Endophthalmitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015807:Eye Injuries, Penetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult