Orbital roof "blow-in" fractures

Seven patients with significant frontal trauma involving the supraorbital region associated with orbital roof "blow-in" fractures were admitted to the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) at the University of Maryland Medical System over a 16-month period. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) with three-dimensional reconstructions demonstrated a downward displacement of the orbital roof in the absence of any orbital rim discontinuity. Associated findings included contussive and hemorrhagic injury to the ipsilateral frontal and parietal lobes, proptosis, ptosis, chemosis, orbital hematoma, and optic nerve contusion. The only long-term ocular pathology in this group of patients was mild to severe optic atrophy. It is recommended that all patients with frontal bone trauma have thin-cut computed tomographic evaluation of the orbit.