Penetrating needle injury of the eye.

This retrospective case series reviews the characteristics, complications and epidemiology of penetrating needle eye injury treated at a referral eye centre in Tehran, over 5 years. The medical records of 27 patients were evaluated. Mean age of patients was 17.41+/-18.69 years; 63% were less than 12 years old. Accident was the cause of 61.5% of injuries, and 55% of injuries occurred at home. Endophthalmitis ensued in 22.2% and cataract in 51.9% of cases. Pars plana vitrectomy was performed for 25.9% of patients. There was no association between endophthalmitis and iris prolapse, zonal involvement, vitreous haemorrhage, traumatic cataract or visual acuity >20/200 on admission, but endophthalmitis was associated with absence of hyphaema at presentation. Families and children should be educated about the dangers of needles.