POTATO GUN OCULAR INJURY

Purpose: This study aimed to identify a dangerous new weapon capable o f causing damage to the ocular and periocular regions. Methods: The au thors report two patients who had penetrating ocular injury in the pas t year because of homemade recreational potato guns. Results: In one 1 4-year-old boy, projectiles from the firing of a potato gun resulted i n orbital and cranial injuries that were life threatening with widespr ead fractures, marked disruption of facial structures, a cerebrospinal fluid fistula requiring bifrontal surgical repair, and loss of one ey e, In a separate accident with a different potato gun, a 14-year-old b oy who was wearing glasses at the time of injury had a sight-threateni ng perforating corneal laceration. Conclusion: Practitioners must be a ware of the existence of these new, homemade unregulated devices. Info rmation about the use and construction of these guns is widespread on the Internet, but no injuries resulting from these guns currently are documented in the medical literature.