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Paintball ocular injuries.
INTRODUCTION: Six cases of ocular injury following paintball injuries sustained during war games are described. A CO2-powered rifle shoots a 14 mm plastic-coated paintball at participants. The muzzle velocity of the gun is 250 ft/sec (76 m/sec). Locally manufactured paintballs are harder than the more expensive imported varieties and may account for the severity of our reported injuries.
METHOD: Six patients presented to a retinal specialist with various ocular injuries, predominantly of the posterior pole.
RESULTS: All patients were young males. There were no cases of ocular penetration. A variety of retinal pathologies was noted, with three cases requiring surgery; however this did not significantly improve the visual outcome.
CONCLUSIONS: These cases highlight the severe ocular injuries that may occur from paintball injuries. Recommendations to avoid ocular injury are made.
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