Jordan D R, White G L, Anderson R L, Thiese S M
Department of Opthalmology, University of Utah, School of Medicine, Salt Lake City.
Ann Emerg Med. 1988 Aug;17(8):853-5. doi: 10.1016/s0196-0644(88)80571-7.
A case of visual loss due to orbital emphysema secondary to a blow-out fracture of the orbit is presented. Because vision returned to 20/20 following an optic nerve decompression procedure, we hypothesize that our patient developed a compressive optic neuropathy with ischemia due to the emphysema. Essential instructions concerning the injury that the emergency physician should give the patient suffering an orbital blow-out are also presented.