Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of posterior segment intraocular foreign body in a tertiary hospital

BACKGROUND: To identify the clinical characteristics, prognostic factors and visual outcomes in posterior segment IOFBs patients managed by PPV in a tertiary hospital. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed for 56 patients, who had PPV for IOFBs removal between November 2013 and November 2015. The mechanisms of injury, the nature of the IOFBs, the BCVA before and after the surgery, the penetrating site and the complications of the surgery were all collected. Univariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the prognostic factors. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 36.4 years. The nature of IOFBs was mainly metal. Most injuries were commonly caused by hammering the metal. The mean preoperative VA was 2.30 logMAR, and mean final VA was 0.92 logMAR. From univariate analysis, good visual outcome was correlated with the good visual acuity before surgery and poor visual outcome was correlated with the macular break and multiple surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: In a tertiary hospital of eastern China, most cases of IOFBs were work-related. The prognosis of the patients was really well in the patients with good presenting visual acuity. Nevertheless the prognosis was not good for those patients who had macular injury or underwent several surgeries because of retinal detachment, epiretinal membrane or proliferative vitreous retinopathy. Good facilities for eye protection are urgently in demand for the workers indeed.