Management of Traumatic Globe Rupture: Case Report

Abstract

Purpose: A Case report of traumatic globe rupture. Globe rupture, an ocular emergency, is the most severe form of mechanical trauma to the globe because of the changes that occur to the tissue at the time of the injury. It is the most common cause of unilateral blindness worldwide; men being more commonlyaffected than women due to occupational and recreational preferences.Case Report: The case reported is a 54- year old man presenting to the Accident and Emergency unit of our hospital due to a hit in the left eye by fireworks. The incident occurred an hour earlier on his way to church, resulting in loss of vision in that eye. The patient suffered significant trauma including rupture of the left globe.Conclusion: Among the numerous causes of traumatic globe rupture, fireworks injuries constitute an important cause of preventable blindness worldwide. The diagnosis is usually easy because the wound is often obvious to the eye, though occult ruptures also occur necessitating the need for careful evaluationof every ocular injury. Due to the risk of expulsive choroidal haemorrhage, urgent surgical intervention is often required, the choice of surgery being determined by the degree of damage to the globe. Evisceration with a prosthesis is the preferred surgical management for severe traumatic injury. Protective eyewear and prevention education are key to reducing ocular morbidity from traumatic globe rupture.