Abstract

A survey of 198 patients (210 eyes) with intraocular or intraorbital foreign bodies is presented. Most were males between 16 and 30 years of age, and 6.1% of cases were bilateral. The commonest cause was a flying particle while using a hand hammer, followed by fragments of bomb and mine blasts. Intraorbital foreign bodies occurred in 78 eyes and intraocular foreign bodies in 132 eyes. Irreparable damage caused 13 eyes (6.2%) to be enucleated. Ten eyes developed severe endophthalmitis or panophthalmitis requiring evisceration. One hundred and thirty-four (63.8%) foreign bodies were removed, and 76 (36.2%) foreign bodies could not be removed. The causes of non-removal, the various complications, and the pattern of foreign bodies in the eye or orbit in Pakistan are discussed and compared with those of other regions.