Clinical profile, demographic distribution, and outcomes of ocular siderosis: Electronic medical record–driven big data analytics from an eye care network in India

PURPOSE: To describe the demographics, clinical profile, and outcomes of ocular siderosis in patients presenting to a multi-tier ophthalmology hospital network in India. METHODS: This cross-sectional and hospital-based study included 3,082,727 new patients who presented between August 2010 and December 2021. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of ocular siderosis in at least one eye were included. RESULTS: Overall, 58 eyes of 57 patients (0.002%) were diagnosed with ocular siderosis. The majority were men (96.49%) and had unilateral (98.25%) affliction. The most common age group at presentation was during the third decade of life with 24 patients (42.11%). A clear history of ocular trauma was documented in 47 patients (81.03%). Major clinical signs included corneal pigment deposition in nearly half of the eyes (27/58 eyes, 46.55%), corneal scar (20/58 eyes, 34.48%), cataract (22/58 eyes, 37.93%) and retinal detachment (11/58 eyes, 18.96%). The intraocular foreign body (IOFB) was anatomically localized in a majority of the eyes (i.e., 45/58 eyes, 77.59%). The most common location of the IOFB was in the posterior segment (22/58 eyes, 37.93%). The eyes that underwent a vitreoretinal surgery with removal of IOFB had a slightly better BCVA (1.0 ± 1.01) when compared to eyes with non-removal of IOFB (1.58 ± 1.00). CONCLUSION: Ocular siderosis is a rare sight-threatening entity, with half of the affected eyes exhibiting severe visual impairment. Majority of the eyes in ocular siderosis will have a detectable IOFB. Surgical removal of IOFB may lead to a better visual gain when compared to non-removal.