Backgrounds: In recent years, drones have been widely used; they have a wide range of application, including in aerial photography, pesticide application, and toys. However, they can easily become hazardous if operated incorrectly. Here, we report a case of trauma that involved simultaneous globe rupture and canalicular lacerations caused by an accident while operating an industrial drone for pesticide spraying.
Case presentation: A 69-year-old man visited an emergency clinic at our hospital after he was accidentally struck by an industrial drone for pesticide spraying, presenting with multiple injuries around the left eye. Initial examinations revealed upper and lower canalicular lacerations, nasal bone fracture, and partial prolapses of the vitreous and iris due to separation of the scleral wound from a past cataract surgery. Globe rupture resulted in visual acuity in the left eye of only light perception. First, we performed vitreous surgery with a scleral suture on the day of the injury, and four days later, we safely performed reconstruction of the upper and lower canalicular lacerations. Postoperatively, the scleral wound closed, and reconstruction of the upper and lower canalicular lacerations was confirmed by lacrimal water-passage testing. The final best corrected visual acuity was 0.01.
Conclusions: As drone rotor blades rotate at extremely high speeds and are sharp, they can cause serious ocular trauma. From the viewpoint of ophthalmology, users should be encouraged to always wear safety goggles while operating a drone.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 123: 413-417, 2019.