Epidemiology, Clinical Characteristics, and Visual Outcomes of Patients with Intraocular Foreign Bodies in Southwest China: A 10-Year Review

Intraocular foreign bodies (IOFBs) are a serious subset of open-globe injury that can result in visual loss. This study analyzed the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and visual outcomes of patients with IOFBs in Southwest China. Methods: This retrospective study comprised 1,176 patients with the primary diagnosis of IOFBs who resided in Sichuan Province over a 10-year period. All data were collected from medical records and analyzed statistically. Results: The annual incidence for IOFBs was 0.14 per 100,000 (95% confidence interval 0.12–0.16 per 100,000) people in Southwest China. In that period, IOFBs accounted for 22.3% of all open-globe injuries. Working-age male patients accounted for 79.1% of all IOFBs patients and there had significant differences in age distributions between genders ( p < 0.001). Metallic IOFBs were the most common (74.6%) IOFB, but there were significant differences in the materials of IOFBs between adults and children of different age-groups ( p < 0.001). At discharge, 277 (23.6%) patients had increased visual acuity (VA) and 95 (8.0%) had no light perception. Initial VA <20/200 (odds ratio [OR], 5.5; p < 0.001), increasing wound size (OR, 1.3; p = 0.004), IOFBs in the posterior segment (OR, 2.6; p = 0.002) and existing complications (traumatic cataract, endophthalmitis, retinal detachment, or retinal break) were independent risk factors for final VA <20/200. Conclusion: The incidence of IOFBs in Southwest China differed from global statistics. Adults and children had different clinical characteristics. Thus, their prevention strategies should be different.