“AN ANALYSIS OF OPHTHALMIC INJURIES IN PATIENTS WITH MAXILLOFACIAL TRAUMA”

Abstract

PURPOSE OFTHE STUDY: To estimate the proportion and types of ophthalmic injuries in patients with maxillofacial fractures PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients with maxillofacial trauma, who came to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery Government Dental college Thiruvananthapuram from November 2020 to June 2021were included in this study. The information and data collected included age, sex, mechanism of injury, type of maxillofacial fracture and type of ophthalmic injury. RESULTS: Ocular injury was sustained by 209 patients out of which 180 (86.1%) were males and 29(13.9%)were females. The largest age group of patients associated with ophthalmic injuries were 30-39 years. The etiology of facial fractures or ocular injuries showed that road trafc accidents more frequently resulted in ocular injuries 66.5% followed by assault 18.7% and self fall 14.8%. Ophthalmic injuries occurred mostly in association with orbital fractures 33.5% followed by Zygomatico maxillary complex fracture 26.8%and Maxillary sinus fractures 24.4%. Periorbital oedema was the most common ophthalmic injury accounting for 46.4%of cases followed by Periorbital ecchymosis 35.4% and Subconjuntival haemorrhage 17.2%. CONCLUSION: Mid facial trauma commonly causes ophthalmic injuries of varying degrees. Prompt ophthalmic examination of all patients with mid facial trauma is mandatory to prevent any blinding complications