Epidemiologic Study of Ocular Injuries in Patients With Maxillofacial Fracture in Hamadan

Abstract

Background: Maxillofacial fractures are frequently complicated with injury to the eye and its adnexa. These injuries may result in loss of vision in one or both eyes or may compromise ocular function. This study aimed to evaluate ocular injuries in the patients with maxillofacial trauma. Methods: Two hundred patients with maxillofacial fractures were examined by maxillofacial surgeons and suspected cases of ocular injuries were referred for ophthalmologic consult. Sixty-three patients were excluded from the study due to death and low Glasgow Coma Score (GCS). Patients’ information including maxillofacial fractures and ocular injuries were recorded in check lists and analyzed with SPSS software version 16.0. Results: out of 137 patients, 106 (77.4%) were males and 31 (22.6%) were females and their mean age was 34.1 ± 17.1. The age group with the highest rate of involvement were 21-40 years (46%). The most common cause of injury was motorcycle accident (32.1%), car accident (30.7%), and in the third place was falling down (13.9%). The incidence of right eye injuries was 5/9%. Right eye was also involved more frequently than left eye (38% and 32.1%, respectively), and in 41 cases (29.9%) both eyes were involved. The prevalence of minor ocular injury was 52.6%, moderate injury was 24.8%, and major injury was 22.6%. The most common ocular injuries were periorbital ecchymosis (83.9%) and subconjunctival hemorrhage (72.2%), and unfortunately 5 cases (3.6%) lost their vision. Conclusions: The significant prevalence of ocular injuries due to maxillofacial trauma certifies the necessity of immediate ophthalmologic examination to prevent permanent vision loss. A multidisciplinary team composed of neurosurgeons, plastic, oral and maxillofacial, ENT and ophthalmic surgeons are suggested to improve management of maxillofacial trauma.