Forensic analysis of ocular injuries during the 2011 revolution in Egypt

During the year 2011 the Egyptian revolution arose with a change in the trend of eye trauma in Egypt.

This study aims at reviewing the epidemiology of ocular trauma presenting to Ain Shams University teaching hospital during the year 2011 and comparing it with epidemiology during the previous 5 years.

This is a retrospective epidemiological and clinical study of patients admitted to Ain Shams University Hospital with ocular trauma from 2006 till 2011. Cases were analyzed with respect to age, sex, occupation, admission interval, type, mode, time and place of injury, causative instrument, diagnosis and examination findings, investigations, management and visual outcomes.

Total numbers of cases presenting during the year 2011 was 237 cases. The mean age was 22.5 years. Students (47.2%) and jobless people (21.9%) constituted the majority of the sample. During the year 2011 there was a significant increase in the percentage of injuries occurring in the street. There was also a significant rise in the percentage of homicidal ocular injuries specially those caused from non-rifled weapons. Fourteen cases of endophthalmitis were associated with non-rifled fire arm missiles while 7 were associated with glass intra-ocular foreign body. This indicated that the probability of occurrence of endophthalmitis with metal intraocular foreign bodies was 2:3 i.e. 66.6% where as in glass intra ocular foreign body was 7:9 i.e. 77.7%.

The majority of ocular trauma in our population during the year 2011 was due to homicidal street injuries occurring mainly in males of young age group, which is consistent with the events occurring in Egypt in this year. The findings indicate that ocular trauma is a significant cause of visual loss in this population.