(Health & Medical Publishing Group, 1999) Kruger, L. P.; Acton, J. K.
Introduction. Six cases of ocular injury following paintball injuries sustained during war games are described. A CO2-powered rifle shoots a 14 mm plastic-coated paintball at participants. The muzzle velocity of the gun is 250 ft/sec (76 m/sec). Locally manufactured paintballs are harder than the more expensive imported varieties and may account for the severity of our reported injuries. Method. Six patients presented to a retinal specialist with various ocular injuries, predominantly of the posterior pole. Results. All patients were young males. There were no cases of ocular penetration. A variety of retinal pathologies was noted, with three cases requiring surgery; however this did not significantly improve the visual outcome. Conclusions. These cases highlight the severe ocular injuries that may occur from paintball injuries. Recommendations to avoid ocular injury are made.