• Laure Muller and Thomas Kohnen.
• Department of Ophthalmology, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
• Graefes Arch. Clin. Exp. Ophthalmol. 2005 Apr 1; 243 (4): 377-9.

BackgroundTo describe the visual rehabilitation after surgical treatment of an ocular injury sustained during an attack by a bird of prey.MethodsA 51-year-old woman who was attacked by an eagle in a cage had a laceration of cornea and sclera at 9 o' clock, an iris prolapse that was jammed into the scleral wound, and a flat anterior chamber with hyphema. The uncorrected visual acuity was hand movements. Surgical treatment was performed immediately and included iris repositioning and suturing, scleral and conjunctival suturing, and transscleral cryotherapy to the retina.ResultsEight months later, the best corrected visual acuity was 20/20. The anterior segment showed a posterior synechia in the area of the iris repair and an almost round pupil; the crystalline lens showed only a localized opacification.ConclusionsA bird of prey, even though caged, can injure an eye in humans. With immediate surgical treatment, good visual rehabilitation was achieved in this case. It should be reiterated that spectacles offer no protection against ocular trauma in these cases.

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