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Affiliation
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CHI Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, Service d'Ophtalmologie, 40, allee de la Source, 94190 Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France. |
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Abstract
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The authors report a case of bilateral eye lesions
with extended visual sequelae after the inflation of a driver's airbag
during a head-on collision. The superficial facial lesions were accompanied by
bilateral eye lesions, reaching both the anterior and posterior segments.
Bilateral periorbital palpebral hematomas; voluminous bipalpebral edema combined
with severe -conjunctival edema, corneal erosions, and edema; bilateral hyphema;
pupillary changes with multiple iris sphincter breaks and weak pupillary light
reflex only on the right eye; retrocession of the iridocorneal angle; and on
fundus examination both retinas had posterior and peripheral hemorrhages and
Berlin retinal edema. Five years after the trauma and 4 years after
posttraumatic surgery for cataract that had progressively appeared on the left
eye, the visual acuity is 25/20 in both eyes notwithstanding a small paracentral
scotoma related to a break in the Bruch membrane. A review of the literature
shows several types of ophthalmological lesions related to the airbag mechanism,
which after combustion of an alkaline powder inflates at a very high speed,
resulting in a risk of corneal-conjunctive-palpebral alkaline burns added to an
eye contusion, which may be responsible for severe lesions. The American studies
distinguish three factors affecting the seriousness of these airbag accidents:
(a) wearing glasses, (b) position and size of the driver, and (c) inflation
force of the airbag. Wearing a seatbelt is mandatory to minimize the violence of
the oculofacial impact. After facial trauma from an airbag, an ophthalmological
examination is necessary to assess of the chemical burns of the tissues exposed
to the alkaline powder and possible major ocular lesions. |