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Updated: Jul 28, 2026
Anterior Segment Organ Culture Platform for Tracking Open Globe Injuries and Therapeutic Performance
Published on: August 25, 2021
Open globe injuries in children
K Rostomian1, A B Thach, A Isfahani
1Department of Ophthalmology, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, USA.
Insights
Pediatric open globe injuries, often caused by sharp objects at home, have a better visual prognosis with primary surgical repair. Factors like retinal detachment and vitreous hemorrhage indicate a poorer outcome.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Trauma Care
Background:
- Open globe injuries are a significant cause of vision loss in children.
- Understanding injury patterns and treatment outcomes is crucial for improving pediatric eye care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify common types of pediatric open globe injuries.
- To correlate injury features and surgical management with visual prognosis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 70 pediatric patients' hospital records.
- Analysis of demographic data, injury characteristics, surgical procedures, and visual outcomes.
Main Results:
- Majority of injuries (67%) caused by sharp objects, often at home (72%).
- Corneal involvement was high (92%); 46% required only primary repair.
- 45% of primary repair eyes achieved 20/40 or better vision; only 19% with secondary procedures did.
- Retinal detachment, afferent pupillary defect, vitreous hemorrhage, and hyphema predicted poor outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Prognosis for pediatric open globe injuries depends on injury nature and initial damage.
- Primary surgical repair is associated with better visual outcomes.
Purpose:
A retrospective review of open globe injuries in children was performed to identify the common types of injury and to correlate features of the injuries and surgical management with visual prognosis.
Methods:
The hospital records of 70 patients were reviewed to determine demographic data, the nature and location of the injuries, the anatomic and functional status of the injured eye before the initial repair, the details of all primary and subsequent surgical procedures, and the final visual outcome.
Results:
Fifty of the patients studied (71%) were male and 20 (29%) were female. The average age of the patients was 5 years. Sharp objects caused the majority of injuries (67%). Most of the injuries happened at home (72%). The cornea was involved in a majority of the injuries (92%). Thirty-two eyes (46%) required only primary repair; 15 eyes (21%) required primary repair with anterior vitrectomy and primary lensectomy; 17 eyes (24%) underwent secondary lensectomy or vitreoretinal surgeries, and 5 eyes (7%) were enucleated. Visual acuity of 20/40 or better was achieved by 45% of those patients who required only primary repair. Of those patients requiring a second procedure, 19% had a visual acuity of 20/40 or better. Initial clinical findings associated with an unfavorable visual outcome were retinal detachment, relative afferent pupillary defect, vitreous hemorrhage, and hyphema.
Conclusion:
The prognosis after an open globe injury in children is strongly influenced by the nature of the injury and the extent of the initial damage. Visual outcome is better in eyes that require only primary repair.
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