Compressed air injury of the eyeball: report of six cases.

Abstract

Six cases of eye injury due to compressed air blast are reported in gasoline station attendants. The effect was varied — first degree burn of the eyelids, conjunctival and subconjunctival hemorrhage, traumatic mydriasis, posterior displacement of the iris diaphragm, traumatic retinal detachment, and orbital emphysema. The left eye was the one affected in all six cases. The nature of the lesion depended on the distance of the compressed air hose from the eye and the state of the eyeball prior to trauma.