Visual outcome and ocular survival after sports related ocular trauma in playing golf.

PURPOSE

To study eye injuries. More specifically, to study the visual performance and ocular findings in people generating the eye trauma while golfing and to define the main mechanisms of injury.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed a case series of seven patients with golf-related eye injuries treated at Austrian hospitals over the last seven years in a multicenter setting.

RESULTS

Five men and two women received treatment. The mean age was 46 (range, 29-63), and three of the patients had blunt close globe trrauma and four suffered from a ruptured globe. Following the injuries, the patients' initial visual acuity ranged from no light perception to 20/40. All of the patients recquired surgery, with the resulting visual acuily ranging from moving hands to 20/20. It should be noted that three eyes required enucleation.

CONCLUSION

Visual outcome from surgery is frequently very poor in golf related injuries. This is further complicated by these traumas frequently being accompanied by a high enucleation rate. Among the patients reviewed, it was observed that ruptured globe trauma has a worse prognosis than close blunt trauma. Due to the severe resulting complications of golf-related ocular injuries, we believe eye protection should be considered and emphasized.