Ultrasonic evaluation of orbito-ocular trauma in Benin-City, Nigeria.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To find out the causes, time of presentation for ultrasound scan, pattern of eye injuries and orbital ultrasound findings in patients with orbito-ocular trauma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Retrospective study of request cards, case notes and ultrasound reports of 67 patients who had trauma to the eye and were assessed with ultrasonography over a 3-year period (between 20th January 2000 and 19th January 2003) was done. The collected data included age, sex, presenting complaint, past medical history, duration of the injury before presentation to ultrasonographic study and ultrasound findings.

RESULT

Sixty-seven patients were seen consisting of 54 males (83.58%) and 11 females (16.42%) with male to female ratio of 5:1. Age range was 4 to 91 years with mean age of 30.8 years. 44 patients (65. 67%) had blunt trauma while 23 patients (34.32%) had penetrating trauma. The causes of the ocular trauma include road traffic accidents 32 (47.76%), assaults 16 (23.88%), gunshot injuries 10 (14. 93%), sports injuries 5 (7.46%), and falls from heights 4 (5.92%) patients. 42 patients (53.73%), especially those with severe injuries presented late for ultrasonography. Those who made early presentation were cases of assault because of police involvement. Forty-five patients (67.16%) had structurally identifiable pathology in one or both eyes. Retinal detachment 18 (26.87%), vitreous haemorrhage 17 (25.37%), traumatic cataract 13 (19.40), ruptured globe 6 (8.96%) and posterior dislocation of the lens 6 (8.96) were the commonest abnormal sonographic findings. In 22 patients (32.84%) both eyes were normal.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound scan is a useful imaging modality for examination of the globe in patients with ocular trauma. Road traffic accident is the commonest cause of traumatic ocular injury affecting the globe. Retinal detachment and vitreous haemorrhage are the most frequent injuries to the globe diagnosed by ultrasound scan. Measures to reduce road traffic accidents will have far reaching positive effect in preventing blindness resulting from orbito-ocular trauma in Nigeria.