BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of the ocular trauma score (OTS) in patients who underwent 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (23-G PPV) for surgical removal of posterior segment metallic intaocular foreign bodies (IOFB) was evaluated.
METHODS: Patients who underwent 23-G PPV for surgical removal of retained metallic IOFBs were retrospectively analyzed. OTS score for each patient was calculated and raw scores were converted to their corresponding OTS categories. The final VAs in study patients were compared with their respective OTS categories.
RESULTS: Twenty-five eyes from 25 patients were examined. Twenty-four (96%) of the patients were male, and the mean age was 34 ± 12 years. The time from injury to 23-G PPV was 9 ± 4 days. Fourteen (56%) patients had zone 1 trauma, eight (32%) patients had zone 2 trauma, and three (12%) patients had zone 3 trauma. Postoperative visual acuity was ≥ 20/200 in 14 (56%) of the patients and ≥ 20/40 in seven (28%) eyes. At the final visit, anatomical success was achieved in 86% of patients with retinal detachment at presentation. No statistically significant differences were found between our final VAs and OTS scores.
CONCLUSION: OTS, which provides prognostic information after general ocular trauma, may also provide valuable prognostic information for patients who undergo 23-G PPV for the surgical removal of metallic posterior segment IOFBs.