Incidence Of Blindness Following Orbital Fracture: A Review Of 5 Cases

Abstract

Aim: To study the incidence of traumatic optic neuropathy/blindness in orbital fracture cases. Material and Method: Five patients diagnosed with traumatic optic neuropathy among 100 cases of maxillofacial trauma associated with orbital fracture treated from January 2015 - January 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Factors at the time of trauma, clinical findings, computed tomographic findings, and interventional modalities were studied for any improvement in vision. Results: Five patients diagnosed with traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) among 100 cases of maxillofacial trauma associated with orbital fracture. Patient’s ages ranged from 21 to 60 years. The causes of trauma were road traffic accidents in all the patients. 4 patients were administered steroid therapy; 1 patient showed improvement in visual acuity. 1 patient underwent decompression by a lateral orbital approach; 1 patient showed an improvement in visual acuity. In 1 other patient, a spontaneous recovery was observed. All patients underwent open reduction and fixation of the maxillofacial fractures. Conclusions: The present findings showed the occurrence of traumatic optic neuropathy in association with orbital fractures.