S Afr Optom 2012 71(2) 86-94

Ocular injuries - a review

VN Sukati
Discipline of Optometry, School of Physiotherapy, Sport Science and Optometry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, West-
ville Campus, Private Bag X54001, Durban, 4000 South Africa

Received 28 January 2012; revised version accepted 30 May 2012

<mavegy@gmail.com>

Introduction globe) involves a full thickness wound of the cor-

neoscleral wall which may result from penetrating or
All ocular structures are vulnerable to injury, but blunt eye trauma. Open globe injuries include lacera-
the site often depends on the cause and mechanism tions which are futher divided into penetrating inju-
of ocular injury1. The anterior segment of the eye ries, perforating injuries and intraocular foreign bod-
which consists of the cornea, conjunctiva, trabecular ies (Figure 1). Closed globe injuries are commonly
meshwork, anterior chamber, iris, and crystalline lens due to blunt trauma whereby the corneoscleral wall of
is vulnerable to direct trauma. Posterior ocular struc- the globe remains intact (a partial thickness corneal
tures include the retina, choroid and optic nerve1. The wound) however, intraocular damage may be present.
worst outcome is often seen in the combined anterior They are divided into burns, blunt trauma/contusions
and posterior segment injuries with the possibility of and lamellar lacerations. Ruptures are caused by
losing all useful vision2-4. Ocular injuries are divided blunt objects with the actual wound being produced
into open globe and closed globe injuries, however, by an inside-out mechanism. If the inflicting object
there may be an overlap in their classification based is blunt, it can result in either a contusion or a rupture
on the causative agent or inflicting object involved. (open globe)5-8.
An open globe injury (an injury penetrating into the

Figure 1: Standardized classification of ocular trauma using the Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology (BETT) classification
(Kuhn et al, 1996).

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Open and closed globe injuries are further de- Ocular lacerations are treated in different ways de-
scribed in terms of zones, elaborating on which struc- pending on whether or not there is tissue prolapse.
ture of the eye the wound involves and to what extent However, the surgeon has to explore the extent of the
it is. For open globe injuries a zone I wound involves wound first and then determine the status of the crys-
the cornea, a zone II wound extends into the anterior talline lens whether to remove it or not with the aid
5 mm of the sclera and a zone III wound involves the of a slit lamp. A crystalline lens can only be removed
sclera extending more than 5 mm from limbus. In the following a water tight closure of the laceration. If the
case of closed globe injuries, a zone I wound involves wound is extensive and loss of intra-ocular contents
only the conjunctiva, sclera or cornea, a zone II in- has been great enough and the prognosis for useful
jury includes the anterior chamber including the lens function is hopeless, enucleation/evisceration is indi-
and zonules and a zone III injury involves posterior cated as a primary surgical procedure14-16. However,
structures including the vitreous, retina, optic nerve, when the wound is clean without tissue prolapse and
choroid and ciliary body6, 7. In the past, there was free from contamination, it can usually be repaired by
no existence of a standardized classification of inju- direct interrupted sutures and can often heal sponta-
ries despite the growth of interest in the publication neously with the aid of an eye pad, contact lenses, or
of studies on eye injuries. However, recent studies cyanoacrylate adhesives while administering a topi-
approve the existence of the new classification which cal antibiotic and controlling the patient’s pain with
has provided better diagnoses and management of oral analgesics. A precaution must be taken for a self
these injuries by eye health practitioners6, 8, 9. sealing wound because when an edematous cornea
subsides a wound leak may develop. Therefore, Sei-
Open globe injuries del test is indicated for evaluation of a corneal wound
leak to determine whether aqueous is being emitted or
Lacerations not14, 15. The patient needs to be referred to the near-
“A laceration is a full thickness wound of the eye est ophthalmologist for surgical repair as soon as pos-
wall, usually caused by a sharp object. The wound sible to restore the anatomy or structural integrity of
occurs at the impact site by an outside-in mechanism. the globe irrespective of the extent of the injury and
The classification is based on whether an intra-ocular the initial visual acuity. If a delay in specialist care
foreign body or an exit wound is also present”6. Oc- is anticipated, a systemic oral antibiotic and tetanus
casionally, an exit wound may be created by the ob- prophylaxis should be administered to avoid devel-
ject while remaining partially intraocular6. opment of endophthalmitis15-17. However, it is ad-
Lacerations to the eyelids and the conjunctiva visable to wait until repair of the laceration has been
commonly occur from sharp objects but can also completed before adding medications because these
occur from a fall10. Most corneoscleral lacerations could be toxic to the retina15-17.
are caused by glass from shattered spectacles and Corneal lacerations due to sharp objects have a
broken windows and associated with blunt trauma better prognosis compared to blunt trauma injuries10.
of flying objects4, 10. Lacerations may occur in one This is because superficial corneal lacerations may
of two ways: i) lacerations without prolapse of tis- heal completely with medical therapy alone depend-
sue when the eyeball has been penetrated anteriorly ing on the length of the laceration (less than 15 mm).
but without prolapse of the intra-ocular contents; and At presentation it is often difficult to assess the visual
ii) lacerations with prolapse when a small portion of prognosis and this may lead to the vast majority of in-
iris prolapses through a wound, or uveal tissue has juries requiring primary repair. Most successful pro-
been injured. Corneal lacerations can involve the cedures performed have resulted in poor vision due
iris and crystalline lens forming a cataract whereby to secondary amblyopia and irregular astigmatism.
management depends on the duration and extent of Therefore, correcting refractive error and clearing
the incarceration11, 12. Corneal lacerations frequently the visual axis through keratoplasty is important for
result in prolapse of the iris with distortion of the pu- good visual outcome. A badly injured eye with little
pil. Hyphaema is often present reducing vision in the possibility of restoring visual potential has very poor
affected eye11, 13. prognosis and the visual outcome does not improve

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even after performing several procedures. However, cataract and tractional retinal detachment. Further
an open globe injury with good visual potential will operation might be needed among these complica-
achieve optimal visual acuity after only about two tions during the follow-up period21. Penetrating inju-
procedures9, 10, 18. Therefore, it is reassuring that most ries require immediate careful attention; an accurate
injuries caused by sharp objects have a fairly good case history to determine how the injury occurred and
prognosis10, 14, 15, 17, 19. then prompt surgical repair to prevent functional loss.
The major objectives in the management are to re-
Penetrating trauma/Perforating trauma lieve pain, preserve or restore vision and to achieve
A penetrating trauma is a single full thickness good cosmetic results. If a patient is suspected of
wound laceration caused by a sharp object without having a perforation, intraocular pressure measure-
an exit wound whereas a perforating injury has two ments, lids manipulation and motility testing must be
full thickness lacerations, an entrance and exit wound avoided. The eye should be covered gently with a
caused by the same agent6, 12. It may be associated sterile gauze or eye pad and protective shield but no
with prolapse of the internal contents of the eye24. pressure should be applied4. The risk of intraocular
The extent of damage depends on the site of ocular infection is often low but prophylactic antibiotics are
penetration and the momentum of the object at the routinely prescribed11. In any penetrating injury of
time of impact4, 12. the globe it is a wise precaution to take X-rays to ex-
Penetrating or perforating trauma can occur follow- clude a retained foreign body11.
ing an assault, domestic accidents and sports4, 19, 20. A penetrating injury of one eye may result in a
The globe integrity is disrupted by a full-thickness en- sympathizing inflammatory reaction in the fellow
try wound whereby the eye is pierced by sharp objects non-injured eye at any time from two weeks to years
such as needles, sticks, pencils, knives, arrows, pens, later which is an autoimmune disease whereby uveal
glass and any object with sharp edges; or by a high- pigment is released into the bloodstream causing an-
velocity missile such as a piece of metal. The extent tibodies to be produced resulting in severe uveitis in
of the injury is determined by the size of the object, its both the injured and non-injured eye11. Risk factors
speed at the time of impact and its composition. Sharp are minimized by removing the injured eye within
objects such as a knife cause a well defined laceration two weeks if there is no chance of saving useful vi-
of the globe. However, the extent of damage caused by sion and if the injured eye remains inflamed11. The
a flying object is determined by its kinetic energy4, 19. management principles of penetrating ocular injury in
Wounds affecting only the cornea may not pene- children and adults does not differ, but among chil-
trate the anterior segment structures, but may self seal dren difficulty can be encountered during examina-
and are less likely to cause visual morbidity, whereas tion and continuing therapy when the child is failing
more complex corneal wounds require a healing pro- to cooperate22. Amblyopia can cause further compli-
cess which may result in scarring which itself may be cations in the treatment of a child. This is often seen
visually disabling19. Localized or a diffuse lenticular in cases when the injury obscures the visual axis (for
opacity occurs as result from trauma in the anterior example, cataracts, corneal scars and vitreous haem-
segment involving the anterior capsule of the lens. orrhages) even for a shorter period of time22.
Development of vitreo-retinal traction and scarring Complications may arise as a result of globe le-
occurring after a period from posterior wounds serves sions which may depend on the seriousness according
as an important factor contributing to the develop- to the time of occurrence, method of management and
ment of complex retinal detachment4, 19. correct assessment21, 23. In spite of the new microsur-
An accurate surgical repositioning of the injured gical techniques, the prognosis of penetrating eye in-
eye is indicated as soon as possible in order to re- juries in many cases is still quite poor and dependent
store normal anatomy while maintaining and con- mostly on the severity22-24.
trolling the intraocular pressure within normal limits
and preventing or controlling infection at the same Intra-ocular foreign bodies
time4, 11, 21. Enucleation of eyes may be as a result An intra-ocular foreign body (IOFB) is a retained
of infection, vitreous abscess, anterior synechiae, foreign object that enters the eye and may be super-

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ficial or deeply embedded causing an entrance lac- any causative objects. During the ophthalmic exami-
eration. An IOFB injury is technically a penetrating nation special attention is paid to any possible sites
injury, but due to different clinical implications it is of wound entry or exit. Topical fluorescein might be
grouped differently because of the treatment modal- helpful to identify the wound entry and location of the
ity, timing and rate of endophthalmitis. They are foreign body12. However, the best tool to reveal lo-
rather variable in presentation, outcome, and prog- cation, size and shape of a foreign body is computed
nosis25. There are several factors that determine the tomography. Gonioscopy can be done if there is sus-
final resting place and damage caused by an IOFB picion of an IOFB in the angle and retroillumination
which include the size, shape and momentum of the of the iris may reveal the disruption site by an IOFB.
object at the time of impact, as well as the site of oc- One effective method appears to be prophylactic cho-
ular penetration. Once in the eye, the foreign body rioretinectomy if the IOFB has caused a deep impact
may lodge in any of the structures it encounters and involving the choroid. This procedure reduces the
may be located anywhere from the anterior chamber risk of post injury proliferative vitreoretinopathy and
to the retina12, 25. the initial damage caused at the time of impact.
Intra-ocular foreign body injuries are often due to Planning of surgical intervention involves ruling
hammering and metal from grinding equipment or drills out the risks of endophthalmitis and subsequent scar-
that penetrates into the eye. An IOFB may traumatize ring as possible complications27. Furthermore, it is
the eye mechanically, introduce infection or exert other vital to determine if the IOFB is anterior or posterior
toxic effects on the intraocular structures which may re- because the surgical approaches will differ27. Topi-
sult in inflammation of these structures11, 12. The risk of cal corticosteroids are used to minimize the inflam-
infection is relatively low unless the eye is penetrated mation and then the IOFB in the anterior chamber
by vegetable material11. Commonly injured structures is typically removed through a paracentesis but not
include the cornea, the lens and the retina25. through the original wound. The IOFB removal is
Retained metallic foreign bodies, especially those performed 90°-180° from where it is located. Vitrec-
containing iron and copper give rise to a serious tomy is indicated for posterior segment IOFBs unless
chemical reaction within the eye11. Siderosis involves tissue damage is minimal27. For the actual removal,
dissociation of the iron resulting in the deposition of the best tool to extract a deeply embedded metallic
iron in the intraocular epithelial structures including IOFB is a strong intraocular magnet while superficial
the lens epithelium and retina. Resultant toxic ef- IOFBs can be removed under slit- lamp visualization
fects include anterior capsular cataract consisting of using a sterile 26-gauze needle12, 27. Non-magnetic
radial iron deposits on the anterior lens capsule, red- foreign bodies are removed mechanically with the aid
dish brown staining of the iris, secondary glaucoma of fine forceps11. For large IOFBs, the best way of
due to trabecular damage and pigmentary retinopathy management is through limbal incision following len-
the last of which has profound effects on vision11, 12. sectomy11, 12.
Chalcosis can also result which is due to an intraocu- The prognosis after an IOFB removal is associated
lar foreign body with a high copper content causing with the nature of the injury for example, in the event
a violet endophthalmitis like appearance on the De- of blunt trauma, particularly when due to a firearm
scemet’s membrane of the cornea, vitreous and the accident, the prognosis is poor. Advanced techniques
internal limiting membrane of the retina often with for vitreous surgery and instrumentation for IOFB re-
progression to phthisis bulbi11, 12. Vegetable matter moval under controlled circumstances have brought
such as cilia may lead to tissue reaction subsequently hope for better results and management of these in-
causing endophthalmitis. Foreign bodies penetrating juries26, 28. Intra-ocular foreign body characteristics,
to the posterior segment may remain suspended in the particularly size is often the determinant of visual
vitreous or may form a retinal tear or bleeding after outcome as well as the substance involved and the
striking the retina12, 23, 24, 26. time of removal. The risk of visual outcome is mul-
Initial management, including an accurate case tiplied by a factor of 1.21 with every 1mm increase
history is vital to determine the origin of the foreign in the size of the IOFB. Clinical data at presentation
body and it may be helpful for a patient to bring along also play a vital role in the prognosis e.g.for example,

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the afferent pupil reflex, prolapse of intraocular tis- lar contents. Young children usually fail to cooper-
sue, lens injury, poor visual acuity and post-operative ate when trying to evaluate the extent of intraocular
retinal detachment can have a negative influence on injury, however assessment can be carried out under
the prognosis26, 28. conscious sedation. Identifying an altered reaction of
the pupil to light, mydriatic, miotic or eccentric may
Ruptures lead to the realization of a ruptured globe even for a
Globe rupture is a full-thickness wound of the eye small wound puncture. Treatment may include an eye
wall as a result of contusion or of penetrating trauma shield, antibiotics, narcotic pain medications, tetanus
on the orbit. Ruptures result in compression of the immunization and surgery to repair the globe for ante-
globe along the anterior-posterior axis resulting in rior ruptures by interrupted sutures. If the wound has
an increase of intraocular pressure to an extent that been extensive and the loss of intra-ocular contents
the sclera tears. Ruptures from blunt trauma occur has been great enough that the prognosis for useful
at the thinnest site of the sclera where the intraocular function is hopeless, enucleation/evisceration is indi-
muscles insert, at the limbus, at the site of previous cated14-16.
intraocular surgery and occasionally occurs around A high frequency of permanent visual loss is as-
the optic nerve. Direct perforation of the globe may sociated with damage to the posterior segment even
be due to sharp objects or those traveling at high ve- though the anatomical position of the globe within
locity. Small foreign bodies may remain within the the orbit protects the eye from being injured in many
globe after penetration10, 15, 19, 29. situations. Possible complications may involve deep
The most common causes of a ruptured globe in- structures of the eye such as infections, delayed post-
clude blowout fracture of the orbit, sports injuries, operative or exogenous endophthalmitis. Within hours
occupational injuries, an object thrown from a power endophthalmitis may present after globe rupture or as
tool and an altercation14, 20, 29. The most common with fungal organisms depending on the organism
symptoms of a ruptured globe include severe eye pain involved and the infection may appear weeks later.
and loss of vision. Additional symptoms of a ruptured Maximizing functional outcome is essential with
globe may include facial swelling, bruising around prompt recognition and ophthalmologic intervention.
the eye, double vision, an abnormal pupil, bleeding Cases of globe rupture require prompt management
inside the eye, eye redness and inability to gaze up- by an ophthalmologist10, 15, 19.
ward with the eye. The uvea, retina, or vitreous may Until the appropriate surgical treatment has been
prolapse through the wound10, 15, 29. performed, the time from injury and the extent of in-
A detailed thorough case history must be obtained jury determines the visual outcome. Patients should
regarding the mechanism and circumstance of injury not be given a false impression about their visual out-
from the onset. The possibility of a subdural haem- come until a complete evaluation is done, especially
orrhage secondary to falling must be assessed when after an operation. Patients presenting with an ini-
associated with an extraocular injury. During the as- tial visual acuity of 20/200 or better, 10 mm or less
sessment of all penetrating and blunt orbital traumas wound length, anterior wound location inserting to the
involving objects travelling at high speed, ruling out plane of the four rectii muscles and sharp mechanism
the possibility of globe rupture should be done first. of injury, aids with the prediction of excellent final
Examination of the most frequent sites of rupture in visual acuity (20/60 or better). Predictors of poor vi-
the posterior segment is not easily visualized in the sion include initial visual acuity of light perception or
presence of superficial injuries. Very small superficial no light perception, greater than 10 mm wound length
wounds sometimes are difficult to visualize, therefore and wounds from blunt or missile objects extending
sharp foreign bodies can enter the eye through these posterior to the rectii muscles insertion planes. A high
wounds. Protecting the injured eye should be a prior- frequency of visual impairment is as a result of globe
ity and the ruptured globe should be assessed system- rupture and injury to posterior segment, but with the
atically. Applying too much pressure on the injured development of advanced diagnostic techniques, sur-
eye can cause further damage, therefore should be gical approaches and rehabilitation, the visual out-
avoided to prevent potential extrusion of intraocu- come can be improved in many eyes10, 19, 29.

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Closed globe injuries After the injury, re-epithelialisation commences, al-

though this may be prevented or hampered by either
Closed globe injuries also occur in everyday life loss of epithelial stem cells in the limbal region or per-
caused by a variety of objects in any environment. sistent inflammation. Excessive collagenase activity
However the outcomes and the standard of manage- occurs in the absence of re-epithelialisation leading to
ment following a severe closed globe injury has not progressive corneal thinning and ultimately to perfo-
been well established especially when associated with ration of the eye. Visual reduction may be as a result
vitreous hemorrhages, hence they continue to pose a of vascularisation and corneal opacification, tear and
threat to vision in later stages of injury especially with mucin deficiencies, necrotic peripheral retinopathy,
blunt traumas. collagen shrinkage and cataract formation even after
epithialisation has occurred30, 31. Thermal necrosis
Burns and penetration can occur from thermal burns howev-
Burns to the eye are most often as a result of be- er, in thermal burns cell death is limited to the super-
ing in contact with strong acids or alkalis which are ficial epithelium, whereas ultraviolet burns often have
amongst the most urgent of ophthalmic emergencies. a delayed pain effect and result in punctate keratitis.
They are classified by the causative agents involved In ideal situations, in an eyewash or shower sta-
either chemical injuries, that is, acid, alkali or radi- tion the affected eye should be irrigated as soon as
ant energy injuries (thermal or ultraviolet). “In par- possible with sterile saline solution to normalize the
ticular, the severity of a chemical burn relates to the pH. Further damage to the eye can be reduced by
solution pH, contact duration, solution penetrability using physiologically balanced solutions for irriga-
and solution quantity”12. Chemical injuries range tion31. To facilitate cooperation a topical anesthetic
in severity from trivial to potentially blinding11, 12. is applied prior to irrigation or a lid speculum is used
Thermal burns are injuries from radiant energy usu- to obtain the best irrigation patients eyelids must be
ally resulting from contact with hot gases, hot liquids, opened wide as possible. Initiating copious irriga-
or molten metals11, 12. tion at the earliest possible time plays a vital role on
The majority of these injuries are industrial (caus- the visual outcome. To minimize the damage after
tic solutions and solvents), agricultural (fertilizers and a chemical injury, any available neutral fluid can be
pesticides) and the remainder are domestic or house- used to irrigate the eyes immediately for ten minutes
holds products which can cause complete ocular de- (for example, water or soda pop). Following irriga-
struction. Many alkali household products such as tion, presenting to an ophthalmologist is mandatory
drain and floor cleaners should be kept out of the reach for a thorough examination12, 31, 32. If an acid burn
of children and be used with extreme caution11, 12. The is suspected, a base should not be used for irrigation
most commonly involved alkalis are ammonia, sodium in an effort to neutralize the acid. A suitable choice
hydroxide and lime while the commonest implicated is saline with bicarbonate or lactated ringer balanced
acids are hydrochloric, sulphuric, chromic and acetic solution30, 32.
acid11, 12. Thermal injuries are as a result of being in Acute chemical injuries are graded to plan an ap-
contact with hot substances such as curling irons, hot propriate subsequent treatment and afford an indica-
curlers, cigarettes and hot liquids. tion of likely ultimate prognosis12, 32. Grading is per-
Alkalis, in particular, cause severe injuries by pen- formed on the basis of limbal ischaemia severity and
etrating the tissues and damaging cells rapidly. Burns corneal clarity. Mild injuries are treated with short
primarily damage tissues by coagulating and denatur- course topical steroids, cycloplegics and prophylac-
ing cellular proteins and through secondary vascular tic antibiotics for about seven days. The main aims
ischaemic damage30. Acid injuries tend to be nonpro- for treatment of more severe burns are to reduce in-
gressive and superficial. Mild burns usually recover flammation, prevent corneal ulceration and promote
fully even though they result in the loss of the corneal epithelial regeneration12. The eye should be patched
and conjunctival epithelium. Severe burns cause is- to establish a conducive environment for re-epitheli-
chaemic damage to the limbal area affecting the vi- alization. Emergent ophthalmologic consultation is
tal epithelial stem for subsequent epithelialisation31. mandatory for any vision threatening injury be it a

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serious thermal burn or any alkali chemical globe ex- through rapid compression-decompression forces
posure32. Early surgery and conservative anti-inflam- that result in transient anteroposterior shortening and
matory therapy may be necessary to vascularize the equatorial elongation of the globe37.
limbus, restore the limbal cell population and re-es- The most common cause of blunt trauma is the eye
tablish the fornices. A procedure known as tenoplasty being struck with a finger, fist, racket, tennis ball, or
prevents anterior segment necrosis by re-establishing other solid object. At the moment of impact sudden
limbal vascularity and the conjunctival surface in compression and indentation of the globe occurs pro-
most severe burns30, 32. ducing damage to the eye36.
A better understanding of the physiology of the Blood occupying the inferior part of anterior
corneal epithelium over the last decade has markedly chamber is often observed, a condition referred to as
improved the prognosis of serious forms of ocular a hyphaema4. Prolonged unresolved hyphaemia and
burns33, 34. Surgical techniques aimed at restoring the corneal blood staining usually cause peripheral ante-
destroyed limbal stem cells have also improved the rior synechiae. Normally damage to the crystalline
prognosis of severe corneal burns. Prevention, par- lens forms a cataract preventing light from reaching
ticularly in industry is essential in order to decrease the retina, or it may no longer be able to focus clear
the incidence of burns34. On the other hand long term images due to displacement within the eye4. Blunt
follow up is mandatory to promote the healing pro- trauma can damage the retina as well. The presence
cess and for providing the best possible opportunity of a tear in the retina leading to large retinal detach-
for visual rehabilitation whenever necessary34. Ad- ment may result in reduced vision whenever the area
vancements in reconstruction of the ocular surface on the retina responsible for clear vision is affected41.
and pathophysiological understanding of a chemical In some instances, sudden effects may not be evident
injury or radiant energy has provided hope for pa- until months or years later after the injury occurs such
tients who would have poor prognosis33. as a cataract, retinal detachment, or glaucoma and all
of these may result in visual loss4.
Blunt trauma/ Lamella lacerations Any hyphaema present should be examined by an
Blunt trauma refers to a direct blow or a type of ophthalmologist as soon as possible to encourage the
physical trauma to the eye and surrounding tissues blood to settle which usually involves bed rest with
caused by the impact of an object. Damage may oc- the head of the bed elevated. Anesthesia is indicat-
cur to anterior segment structures including the eye- ed for a thorough evaluation of the peripheral retina.
lid, conjunctiva, sclera, cornea, iris and lens; and Atropine may be given to dilate the pupil and cor-
posterior segment structures including the retina ticosteroids to reduce inflammation within the eye.
and optic nerve resulting in significant visual loss35, Further injury can be prevented with the use of a pro-
36. It includes contusions and lamellar laceration of tective shield taped over the eye. Patients with blunt
the globe. A contusional injury has no (full thick- eye trauma should be under steady observation by an
ness) wound. The injury is either due to choroidal ophthalmologist to handle late complications such as
rupture (direct delivery of the object) or angle reces- proliferative vitreoretinopathy which is a condition
sion (changes in the shape of the globe). Lamellar that generally results from chronic retinal detachment
laceration is a partial thickness wound of the eyewall or retinal surgery and severe ocular trauma36. Prompt
caused by a sharp object. Both structural and func- surgical repair is required for retinal detachments to
tional damage to the eye can be as a result of blunt prevent or to minimize serious visual loss. Follow-up
trauma36. Traumatic macular holes and retinal de- care must be continuous to preserve vision after an
tachment or dialysis may also occur after blunt ocular injury by monitoring the intraocular pressure at least
trauma37-39. In the uncommon situation when force is once daily for the first few days because if the pres-
applied directly to the overlying sclera the posterior sure is elevated it may result in secondary open-angle
segment can be damaged, although blunt injuries may glaucoma41. For children who sustain severe injuries
also damage the posterior pole of the eye40. Retinal enough to result in a hyphaema are urged to go for
detachment after blunt trauma may develop as a re- annual examinations because children may not rec-
sult of retinal dialysis, flap tears, or giant retinal tears ognize decreased vision at an early stage and present

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when visual loss is severe41. Ghana. Ghana Med J 2007 41(4) 171-175.
4. MacGwin G, Owsley C, Xie A. Rate of eye injury in the
For blunt traumas, the prognosis is dependent on
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the original injury rather than the complications as a 5. Juthani V, Bruce M. The epidemiology and incidence of
result of hyphaema formation. After initial injury the visual deficits following ocular trauma in pediatric patients.
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ocular trauma and chronic retinal detachment, prolif- JB and Treister G. A standardized classification of ocular
trauma. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 1996 234(6)
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Poor visual outcome is expected during vitreoretinal 7. Kuhn F, Pieramici DJ. Ocular trauma: principles and prac-
surface traction created by proliferative membranes, tice. New York, Thieme, 2002 236-246.
causing further complications and visual loss even 8. Schrader WF. Open Globe Injuries: Epidemiological Study
though the nidus for proliferation is unclear42. A high of Two Eye Clinics in Germany, 1981-1999. Croat Med J
2004 45 268-274.
percentage of patients with injuries confined to the 9. Pieramici DJ, MacCumber MW, Humayun MU, Marsh MJ,
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initially, but a significant number of patients lose all and visual results. Ophthalmol 1996 103 1798-803.
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13. Chiapella AP, Rosenthal AR. One year in an eye casualty
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