Corneoscleral laceration caused by air-bag trauma.

PURPOSE: To report a case of a corneoscleral laceration sustained as a direct result of inflation of a driver-side air bag.

METHODS

A patient who sustained a severe ocular injury in a low-speed motor vehicle accident underwent clinical and radiologic examination and subsequent treatment.

RESULTS

The left eye underwent primary repair of a complex corneoscleral laceration. Two weeks postoperatively, visual acuity in the left eye remained at bare hand motion.

CONCLUSION

Although air-bag-related eye trauma may be relatively infrequent, the severity of the injuries incurred warrant research efforts to explore new air-bag designs that minimize the risk of ocular injury.