Wooden intraorbital foreign body injuries: clinical characteristics and outcomes of 23 patients.

Purpose: To describe the clinical characteristics, interventions, and visual outcomes of orbital injuries associated with wooden foreign bodies.

Methods: A retrospective case review of orbital injuries managed at Wills Eye Institute and Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary was conducted between 1992 and 2006.

Results: The clinical course and management for a total of 23 intraorbital wooden foreign body injuries were reviewed. The distribution of wood included pencil (39%), tree branch/plant matter (35%), and other treated wood (26%). About half of the subjects (52%) presented with preoperative vision between 20/20 and 20/40. Almost all [corrected] of the subjects with preoperative vision between 20/20 to 20/40 retained vision in that range postoperatively (92%). [corrected] Time from injury to presentation was highly variable, ranging from 24 hours to 17 months (mean, 62 days; median, 3 days). Forty-three percent of subjects presented within 24 hours of injury. The site of foreign body found within the orbit was superior (26%; n = 6), medial 30% (n = 7), inferior (26%, n = 6), posterior (9%; n = 2), and lateral (4%; n = 1). Preliminary radiographic interpretation for foreign body was definite in 61% (n = 14), possible in 22% (n = 5), and absent in 13% (n = 3).

Conclusions: Young men are at particularly high risk for wood intraorbital foreign body. There was a relatively equal distribution of wood type. The time from injury to presentation was variable, ranging from <1 day to over a year. Almost half of the subjects presented within 24 hours of injury. In patients with a known site of penetration, almost half occurred in the conjunctiva, notably without presence of eyelid laceration, emphasizing the need to check the conjunctiva and fornices closely. Preliminary radiographic readings often miss or are inconclusive in detecting the foreign body. The shape, location, serial examinations, and particularly the use of quantitative CT are extremely helpful in distinguishing retained wood foreign body from other low-density signals of air or fat.