Case Series: Ocular Trauma Secondary to Masks during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Zhou, Peng; Jiang, Xiaodan; Li, Xue-Min

SIGNIFICANCE: Previously, people had only recognized the discomfort of masks, and no one had ever realized the risk of ocular trauma associated with masks. We classify the causes of injuries into two categories and emphasize the importance of using masks properly. PURPOSE: To characterize and classify ocular injuries caused by masks.Case ReportsWith the increase in the number of masks used during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a rise in mask-related ocular injuries. This is a single-center retrospective case series of patients presenting to the Peking University Third Hospital Ophthalmology Department emergency room with ocular injuries secondary to masks from February to August 2020. Nine patients (6 males, 3 females) were reviewed. All patients had a unilateral injury (4 right eyes, 5 left eyes). The most frequently injured site was the cornea, which was seen in 5 patients. Some patients were injured in more than one area. Seven patients were injured by metal nose wires or other rigid, sharp parts of masks. The other 2 patients were injured by elastic mask straps. CONCLUSIONS: Masks can cause two types of ocular injuries that may require surgical intervention. One kind is metal nose wires or other rigid, sharp parts of masks causing lacerations or abrasions. The other is recoiling elastic mask straps snapping into the eyes and causing contusions. Our report emphasizes the importance of using masks properly.