Ocular injury, visual impairment, and blindness associated with maxillofacial trauma

Objective Maxillofacial fractures are frequently associated with ocular injuries. These injuries may result in loss of vision and blindness but are usually neglected due to consideration of other emergencies. This study aimed to evaluate ocular injuries following maxillofacial trauma. Methods In this analytical cross-sectional study, the records of all maxillofacial trauma patients referred to Imam Hussein Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from March 2019 up to February 2020 were investigated. Demographical variables, etiology, the pattern of maxillofacial fracture, and possible ocular injuries were recorded. Data collected using a researcher-made checklist and analyzed with SPSS software version 20 using descriptive analysis and Chi-square tests for comparative statistics. Results Motor vehicle accidents are the most frequent etiology for maxillofacial fractures (80.5 %). Mandible (34.7 %) and zygomaticomaxillary complex (34.3 %) fractures are the leading patterns of maxillofacial fractures. Also, orbital rim fractures (91.8 %) were more prevalent fractures of orbit. Periorbital edema (35.4 %) and subconjunctival hemorrhage (29.8 %) were the most frequent ocular injuries. Conclusions This study suggests that mandibular fractures could be categorized as "low-risk", but ZMC fractures as "high-risk" for associated ocular injuries. Also, orbital rim fractures have to take care of more cautiously.