UMEM Educational Pearls

Category: Visual Diagnosis

Title: Interesting Case

Posted: 9/12/2011 by Rob Rogers, MD (Updated: 3/29/2024)
Click here to contact Rob Rogers, MD

Question

A 50 year-old patient presents after a self-inflicted eye injury. The patient had taken some type of needle and inserted it into their eye.

What is the diagnosis and what complications might result?

 

Answer

The image shows air bubbles in the anterior chamber. Since air has been introduced into the eye, the patient is at risk for elevated intraocular pressures. In addition, you would need to consider endophthalmitis as a complication.