AIM: To explore the effect of early posterior approach vitrectomy in the treatment of penetrating ocular trauma with intraocular foreign body.

METHODS: Totally 10 cases of penetrating ocular trauma with intraocular foreign bodies(IOFB)in the past two years were included. Emergency vitrectomy, intraocular foreign body removal and silicone oil tamponade were performed by the same surgeon. Antibiotics and steroids were given after surgeries. Retinal photocoagulation was done according to fundus conditions after surgeries.

RESULTS: One patient combined with preoperation endophthalmitis and severely damaged retina failed to recover, eventually came to phthisis bulbi. Vitrectomy and IOFB removal were all successfully performed in the other patients. The postoperation follow-up time was 3-18mo. Two of the patients received secondary vitrectomy and silicone replacement surgeries due to recurrent retinal detachment. The remaining patients had no further bleeding with intraoclar pressure(IOP)8-21mmHg. At the last follow-up, three of them gained best corrected visual acuity better than 0.1, two patients had visual acuity of 0.01 to 0.1 and four patients had poor visual acuity of light perception to FC/50cm because of macular damage. The patient with phthisis bulbi had no light perception.

CONCLUSION: Early vitrectomy, foreign body removal and silicone oil tamponade is an effective treatment for patients with penetrating eyeball injury with IOFB.