Posterior penetrating ocular injury

The management of posterior penetrating ocular trauma includes thorough preoperative evaluation and exploration and careful debridement with excision or repositioning of the uvea. Vitreous incarceration should be avoided and the sclera and cornea should be reapproximated. Preventive antibiotic and steroid therapy are indicated. Vitreoretinal evaluation includes CT scan, ultrasonography and electroretinography. Vitrectomy should be performed within 5-10 days after injury when there is retinal detachment, an opaque vitreous, extensive vitreous hemorrhage, double perforating injuries, or a reactive foreign body. When there is endophthalmitis or chalcosis, vitrectomy should be performed earlier. A 22-year-old man with severe penetrating trauma of the eye is presented.