Airsoft gun-related ocular injuries: novel findings, ballistics investigation, and histopathologic study.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the ocular injuries related to airsoft gun bullets, investigate the ballistics of airsoft bullets, record real-time impact of the bullets on an eye, and investigate the histopathologic changes within the cornea after being hit by an airsoft gun bullet.


METHODS
Retrospective, interventional case series and experimental animal study.


METHODS
All consecutive cases of patients with airsoft gun-related ocular injuries during 2006 to 2008 were included in this study. Porcine eyes were used for high-speed video photographs of bullet impacts. Rabbit eyes were used for the histopathologic investigation. All patients were treated in the Department of Ophthalmology at Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Laboratory investigations were performed at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. The main outcome measures were ocular injuries of the patients, ballistics of the airsoft bullets, nature of corneal deformation upon impact, and corneal histopathologic changes after the hit.


RESULTS
Fifty-nine patients with a mean age of 9.8 +/- 3.8 years (range, 2.8 to 26 years) were examined; 49 were male (83.1%). The ocular injuries included hyphema, corneal edema, corneal erosion, traumatic mydriasis, and posterior segment involvement. A novel, "donut" form of corneal erosion was seen and also demonstrated by the histopathologic investigation. Substantial anterior segment deformation was recorded in real-time using the high-speed video camera.


CONCLUSIONS
Airsoft gun injuries affect mainly young men and can be visually threatening. Typical ocular injuries along with a unique form of corneal erosion can be seen.
Kratz
Assaf
A
Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. assaff@bgu.ac.il
Levy
Jaime
J
Cheles
Dorina
D
Ashkenazy
Zach
Z
Tsumi
Erez
E
Lifshitz
Tova
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003315:Cornea / Q000473:pathology; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013552:Swine; D014741:Video Recording; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult