[Endophthalmitis in war and peace penetrating eye injuries].

Background/aim: Nowadays, eye injuries are a leading cause of one-eye disease or blindness worldwide. The aim of this study was to comparatively analyze the frequency of endophthalmitis following war and peace eye injuries.

Methods: All the patients went throught the detailed ophthalmologic examinations, prophylactic antibiotic treatment, and pars plana vitrectomies (VPP), or other required surgical interventions.

Results: Inside the period from 1991 to 1998, 647 patients with eye injuries were hospitalized, out of which 500 with penetrating eye injuries. In the period 1999-2004, 611 patients with eye injuries, were treated, out of which 297 had penetrating eye injuries. Out of 500 patients with war penetrating eye injuries, in 286 of the cases intrabulbar foreign bodies (IFB) were detected. The signs of endophthalmitis were observed in 26 eyes (5.2%) at admission. Out of totally 297 peace penetrating eye injuries, 196 (66%) were IBF. In 25 eyes (8.4%) endophthalmitis was observed.

Conclusion: In our study, the frequency of posttraumatic endophthalmitis following penetrating war eye injuries was relatively low, even lower than the frequency of endophthalmitis following peace eye injuries.