Airsoft Gun–Related Ocular Injuries: Novel Findings, Ballistics Investigation, and Histopathologic Study
Accepted 12 August 2009. published online 29 October 2009.
Purpose
To describe the ocular injuries related to airsoft gun bullets, investigate the ballistics of airsoft bullets, record real-time impact of the bullets on an eye, and investigate the histopathologic changes within the cornea after being hit by an airsoft gun bullet.
Design
Retrospective, interventional case series and experimental animal study.
Methods
All consecutive cases of patients with airsoft gun–related ocular injuries during 2006 to 2008 were included in this study. Porcine eyes were used for high-speed video photographs of bullet impacts. Rabbit eyes were used for the histopathologic investigation. All patients were treated in the Department of Ophthalmology at Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel. Laboratory investigations were performed at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. The main outcome measures were ocular injuries of the patients, ballistics of the airsoft bullets, nature of corneal deformation upon impact, and corneal histopathologic changes after the hit.
Results
Fifty-nine patients with a mean age of 9.8 ± 3.8 years (range, 2.8 to 26 years) were examined; 49 were male (83.1%). The ocular injuries included hyphema, corneal edema, corneal erosion, traumatic mydriasis, and posterior segment involvement. A novel, “donut” form of corneal erosion was seen and also demonstrated by the histopathologic investigation. Substantial anterior segment deformation was recorded in real-time using the high-speed video camera.
Conclusions
Airsoft gun injuries affect mainly young men and can be visually threatening. Typical ocular injuries along with a unique form of corneal erosion can be seen.
Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Inquiries to Assaf Kratz, Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, P. O. Box 151, Beer-Sheva 84101, Israel
ABSTRACT