Eye lid and canalicular laceration due to obstetric trauma. Case report

Ocular injuries associated with birth trauma are rare. Their incidence increases in cases of instrument-assisted delivery, emergency cesarean section, and abnormal presentation of the fetus. We present the clinical case of a premature Asian male baby, aged 33+2 weeks and weighing 1,500g. The infant was born out of a twin pregnancy and was delivered by emergency cesarean section. Following delivery, a 5mm long lower eyelid laceration was observed in the inner corner of the left eye, with injury to the inferior canaliculus. A Mini-Monoka® (FCI, Issy-Les Moulineaux, France) monocanalicular intubation stent was inserted on the seventh day with anastomosis of the proximal and distal ends of the canaliculus laceration. The skin was then sutured with a polyglactin 8/0 (Vicryl 8/0, Ethicon, Johnson & Johnson S. A., Madrid, Spain) suture. The postoperative treatment consisted of tobramycin and dexamethasone eye drops four times per day for 10 days. A good progression was observed, the position of the inferior lacrimal punctum was adequate, and syringation was normal. The Mini-Monoka® was removed after 14 weeks.