title: Cluster bomb ocular injuries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present the visual outcomes and ocular sequelae of victims of cluster bombs.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective, multicenter case series of ocular injury due to cluster bombs was conducted for 3 years after the war in South Lebanon (July 2006). Data were gathered from the reports to the Information Management System for Mine Action.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 308 victims of clusters bombs; 36 individuals were killed, of which 2 received ocular lacerations and; 272 individuals were injured with 18 receiving ocular injury. These 18 surviving individuals were assessed by the authors. Ocular injury occurred in 6.5% (20/308) of cluster bomb victims. Trauma to multiple organs occurred in 12 of 18 cases (67%) with ocular injury. Ocular findings included corneal or scleral lacerations (16 eyes), corneal foreign bodies (9 eyes), corneal decompensation (2 eyes), ruptured cataract (6 eyes), and intravitreal foreign bodies (10 eyes). The corneas of one patient had extreme attenuation of the endothelium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ocular injury occurred in 6.5% of cluster bomb victims and 67% of the patients with ocular injury sustained trauma to multiple organs. Visual morbidity in civilians is an additional reason for a global ban on the use of cluster bombs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Ahmad M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mansour
authors.forename: Haya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hamade
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ghaddar
authors.forename: Ahmad Samih
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Mokadem
authors.forename: Mohamad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Hajj Ali
authors.forename: Shady
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Awwad