Preventable Cause of Vision Loss: Demographic and Clinical Findings of Penetrating Eye Injuries

Background/Aims: To raise awareness about the preventability of penetrating eye injuries and contribute to the implementation of appropriate protective measures by identifying the causes and risk factors of such injuries. Methods: The files of patients admitted to the Department of Ophthalmology due to penetrating eye injuries and undergoing repair for penetrating eye injuries between 2019 and 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients’ age, gender, the location where the trauma occurred, the incident causing the injury, the presence of a foreign body in the eye after the injury, and the need for repeated surgeries were examined, and the follow-up periods of the patients were recorded. Results: A total of 107 patient files were included in the study. Of 107 patients, 82.24% (n=88) were male, and 17.76% (n=19) were female. The average age of the patients was 33.5 years, with a minimum age of one year and a maximum age of 86. The median age was 30.5 years. Among the patients, 29.91% (n=32) were under the age of 18. The most common trauma location was outdoor/ garden/street at 41.12% (n=44), followed by the workplace at 25.23% (n=27) and home at 23.36% (n=25). Among the causes of trauma, metal objects were the leading cause at 23.36% (n=25), followed by natural objects like wood, stone, and tree branches at 14.95% (n=16), and cutting/ piercing tools at 11.21% (n=12). The most frequent injuries were corneal injuries (n=43) (40.19%). Thirty-seven patients required additional surgery, with the most common second surgery being cataract surgery (n=22) (20.56%). A foreign body inside the eye was detected in 24 patients. Conclusions: Penetrating eye injuries are a significant cause of preventable vision loss. Public education, raising awareness, early intervention methods, and encouraging the use of protective equipment are critically important in preventing these injuries.