Short- and long-term vertical diplopia secondary to blunt trauma

This report describes the short- and long-term ocular signs and symptoms of a patient with an orbital blow-out fracture and discusses the differential diagnosis of vertical diplopia. A blow-out fracture occurs when blunt trauma is applied either directly to the eyeball itself or the orbital rim and usually results in a fracture of the orbital floor with consequential excavation and entrapment of orbital contents in the fracture. Vertical diplopia is a common presenting symptom for a blow-out fracture of the orbit but careful considerations should be given to other potential conditions leading to such diplopia. A patient is presented who suffered a blow-out fracture almost a decade earlier, secondary to blunt trauma to the globe. The clinical findings are provided immediately after the trauma, post-surgery and during a recent ocular examination.