Ocular injuries caused by airsoft guns: Ten-year experience

INTRODUCTION: The study describes ocular injuries caused by airsoft guns pellets, type of these injuries and their incidence in different age groups. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of medical charts of patients who were hospitalized due to airsoft guns ocular injuries in ten-year period (from 2000 to 2009). Patient’s age, gender, duration of hospitalization, type of treatment and initial and final visual acuity were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall 92 patients with ocular injuries caused by airsoft gun pellets were hospitalized in tenyear period. In all patients only one eye was injured and there were 72 (78.3%) male patients. Injuries involved ocular adnexa, anterior and posterior segment of the eye. On initial examination 41 (44.6%) patients were presented with subconjunctival hemorrhages, 42 (45.6%) with corneal abrasion, 42 (45.6%) patients had corneal edema, 6 (6.5%) had traumatic mydriasis, 90 (97.8%) patients exhibited hyphema, 10 (10.9%) iridodialysis, in 27 (29.3%) patients high intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured, one patient had subluxation of intraocular lens (IOL) and one patient had traumatic cataract. Posterior segment findings included vitreous hemorrhage in 3 (3.3%) patients, retinal hemorrhage in 15 (16.3%) patients, retinal edema in 35 (38.0%) patients and one patient had globe rupture. Average duration of hospitalization was 5.7 days (range from 1 to 18 days). Three patients (3.3%) required eye surgery, eight patients (8.7%) had anterior chamber washout while rest of the patients were conservatively managed. Visual acuity at hospital release was significantly improved comparing to initial visual acuity, ranging from counting fingers at 1 meter to 20/60 in 7 (8.6%) patients, from 20/50 to 20/30 in 13 (16.0%) patients and from 20/25 to 20/20 in 61 (75.3%) patients. In 11 patients testing the visual acuity was not possible because of their young age. CONCLUSION: Injuries attributed to airsoft guns were confined mostly to anterior segment. There was also high percentage of severe posterior segment trauma requiring hospital admission. The most important factors in preventing such injuries are restricting access to airsoft guns, especially to minors, as well as mandatory use of protective equipment such as protective eyeglasses.