Corneal Foreign Bodies in Children

Overview

The purpose of the study was to answered three questions. Which part of all patients with diagnosis of corneal foreign body (CFB) diagnosed in period from 2006 to 2010 were children? Is there any dependence on sex like in adults? Is there any typical mechanism of injury in children?

Methods:
Retrospective study analyzed data of 2381 patients with diagnosis of CFB, 2225 men and 156 women. There were in the group 0–17 years 154 patients, 82 boys and 72 girls, in group 18–64 years 2103 men and 80 women and in group patients older than the age of 65 years 40 men and 4 women. Mechanism of injury was analyzed in the group of children.

Results:
CFB is a common condition in working-age adult men due to occupational exposure, eg grinding, drilling or cutting. CFB is very rare in adult women. Similar dominance of men was in the group of patients older then the age of 65 years. The results demonstrate, that both sex in group of children occurred equally. The majority of the mechanism of injury in children wasn’t recognized (115 children). The biggest recognised group was use of swing in case-history of 17 children with corneal metallic foreign body, 15 of them were children younger than the age of 7 years. Seven children suffered injury by part of plants such as thorns or bark from branch of tree. Three boys had in case-history common mechanism of grinding. Remaining mechanisms of injury were less frequent.

Conclusion:
From 2006 to 2010, 154 (6.5 %) pediatric eye injuries of CFB were treated in Department of Ophthalmology for Children and Adults. Both sex in group of children occurred equally. Although majority of mechanism of injury remained unrecognised, use of swing is among children younger then the age of 7 years important unknown mechanism of injury. Is possible to prevent it, eg rust prevention of metallic suspensions of swing, protective eyeweare, cap.

Key words:
foreign body, corneal foreign body, children, corneal metallic foreign body, swing