Chorioretinectomy for perforating or severe intraocular foreign body injuries.
BACKGROUND
To report the outcomes of chorioretinectomy versus non-chorioretinectomy in combat ocular injuries where a foreign body penetrated the choroid or perforated the globe.


METHODS
Retrospective, comparative, consecutive interventional case series of 32 perforating or severe intraocular foreign body combat ocular trauma injuries sustained by United States military soldiers and treated at a single institution from March 2003 to March 2009. Final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in 19 non-chorioretinectomy-treated eyes was compared to 13 chorioretinectomy-treated eyes. The chorioretinectomy group was repaired with a 20 gauge three-port pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) by removing the choroid and/or retina at the impact or perforation site of the foreign body following evacuation from a combat zone. The main outcome measures were best-corrected visual acuity and rates of globe survival, retina reattachment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy.


RESULTS
Thirty-two eyes of 31 patients with a mean age of 29 +/- 9 years (range, 19-53 years) were followed for a median of 463 +/- 226 days (range, 59-1022 days). The mean time of injury to the operating room in the chorioretinectomy group was 12.6 +/- 9.8 days, compared to that of the non-chorioretinectomy group of 22.1 +/- 16.4 days (P = 0.05) Final BCVA > or =20/200 occurred in seven of 13 (54%) of the chorioretinectomy group, compared to two of 19 (11%) in the non-chorioretinectomy group (P = 0.04). Globe survival rates were higher in the chorioretinectomy group [11 of 13 (85%) vs 9 of 19 (45%); P = 0.06], as well as the final retinal reattachment rate [8 of 13 (62%) vs 8 of 19 (42%); P = 0.47]. The proliferative vitreoretinopathy rate was eight of 13 (62%) in the chorioretinectomy group, compared to 14 of 19 (74%) in the non-chorioretinectomy group (P = 0.70). Graft failure occurred in five of six eyes (83%) of non-chorioretinectomy cases, requiring temporary keratoprosthesis and penetrating keratoplasty.


CONCLUSIONS
Chorioretinectomy is a surgical option that may improve final BCVA and increase globe survival rates when a foreign body penetrates the choroid or perforates the globe.
Ophthalmology Service, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, Washington, DC, 20307, USA. ericweichel@gmail.com
Eric D
ED
Weichel
Kraig S
KS
Bower
Marcus H
MH
Colyer
D000328:Adult; D002829:Choroid / Q000601:surgery*; D005129:Eye Foreign Bodies / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D015807:Eye Injuries, Penetrating / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D054542:Iraq War, 2003-2011; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008889:Military Personnel; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D012160:Retina / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult