Posters

Hide and seek with a pellet

Poster Details

First Author: E.Oustoglou GREECE

Co Author(s): M. Samouilidou   A. Dastiridou   A. Mataftsi              

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To demonstrate a case of ocular trauma by a pellet and emphasize the need of changing the legal use of airguns in the hands of the underaged.

Setting:

2nd department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Thessaloniki Greece

Methods:

This is a case report of a twelve-year-old boy which presented to our clinic with a painful red eye following a shot with an air pistol from 10 feet range on the left eye.

Results:

Upon presentation, visual acuity was 0.3 logMAR and intraocular pressure was 40mmHg. Slit lamp examination revealed red blood cells within the anterior chamber along with cellular reaction grade 2. There was no corneal abrasion and no indication of globe rupture or a foreign body at the time. Eye movements were painful particularly in upgaze. During further examination a 6mm plastic pellet was found in the inferior conjunctival fornix, was extracted, and thirty minutes later IOP dropped to 28mmHg. Topical beta blocker normalized pressure within ten days.

Conclusions:

This case illustrates how a small pellet can be overlooked while hiding in the conjunctival fornix. Air guns are not harmless toys and as far as they are not banned from the market, we will continue to see them cause eye casualties in children of all ages.

Financial Disclosure:

None