Ocular manifestations in blunt trauma

Introduction:   Ocular trauma is responsible for one-third of monocular blindness, affecting approximately 1.6 million people globally, with 2.3 million experiencing bilateral vision loss and 19 million suffering from unilateral vision loss.[1] In developing countries, eye injuries are commonly caused by activities such as road traffic accidents (RTA), cricket balls, assaults, falls, as well as hammering, agriculture, and carpentry.[2,5] Ocular trauma is a significant cause of preventable blindness and vision impairment.[2] Blunt trauma refers to closed globe injuries where mechanical deformation or direct energy impacts cause damage to the eye.[3] This study aims to investigate the causes, nature, and extent of ocular trauma, enabling the identification of preventive measures and early management strategies to reduce its impact.[1]

Materials and methods:  A cross-sectional study was performed on 100 patients with blunt trauma. After taking informed consent, detailed history and ocular examination was done to all patients. Ocular manifestations due to blunt trauma were documented. The association between categorical variables will be analyzed by using Chi-square test. Statistical software SPSS version-20 will be used for the analysis. P value <0.05 will be considered statistically significant.

Results: Out of 100 patients, there were 77 males (77%) & 23 females (23%). majority of the cases fall under 21-30 years (25%), 31-40 years (18%), 41-50 years (15%), > 60 years (16%). the distribution of Modes of Blunt Trauma with road traffic accidents (RTA) accounting for 56%, At Work/Occupational hazards for 18%, At Home for 10%, At Play for 6%, and assaults for 10%. the patient presented in less than  < 6 hours is 18%, 6 hours is 22%, 6-12 hours is 10%, >12 hours is 32%, >24 hours is 18%. the Visual acuity after trauma was  6/9 or better in 60% of the patients followed by 6/24 to 6/9 in 18% of the patients the distribution of Ocular Structures injured in patients with blunt trauma with highest incidence are Lid and adnexa  71% followed by Conjunctiva is 38%. the most common findings were Eyelid Edema (71), followed by Ecchymosis (52), Conjunctival Congestion (38), Sub Conjunctival Hemorrhage (27).

Conclusion: This study emphasizes that blunt trauma can result in varying degrees of damage to the eye structures, with the ultimate visual outcome depending on which structures are affected.