Changes in the chamber angle following ocular contusions (author's transl)

Abstract

In a retrospective study, 87 patients were reexamined after hospital treatment of ocular contusion. The relationships between intraocular pressure, outflow facility, and lesions of the anterior chamber angle were analyzed. In 52% of the cases, lesions were demonstrated in the anterior chamber angle; about half of these patients showed extension of 180 degrees or more. There was no statistical correlation between intraocular pressure and outflow facility or the extent of anterior chamber angle lesions, although clinical findings clearly indicated such correlations. Blunt ocular injuries evidently lead to higher intraocular pressure in elderly patients. The latency period also appears to play a role: the longer the period between trauma and examination, the higher the pressure measured in the injured eyes. We found secondary glaucoma in two cases (about 2%). Glaucoma was suspected in six patients (6.5%). There was an apparent risk of glaucoma in four patients (4.3%).