Epidemiology of Open Globe Injury in Children

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric open globe injury (OGI).

The medical records of all patients diagnosed with OGI in the authors' clinic between 1996 and 2015 were screened retrospectively. A total of 893 eyes of 892 patients aged 16 years or younger were included in the study. Open globe injury was classified according to the ocular trauma classification (OTS). Age, sex, history, cause and month of trauma, treatment received, visual acuity at presentation, final visual acuity, and cause of vision loss were recorded.

Children aged 16 years or younger comprised 67.7% of all OGI patients within the studied time period. The annual incidence of OGI in children was 5.16 per 100,000 overall, with 6.12 per 100,000 boys and 4.14 per 100,000 girls. Open globe injuries occurred most frequently in the 3 to 7 year age group and in the summer months. The most common scene of injury was playgrounds (50.2%). A strong, linear, negative correlation was found between OTS values and final visual acuity in logMAR (rp = -0.550, P = 0.0001).

The authors' study revealed that a high proportion of all OGIs in the authors' region occurred in children under 17 years old. As with adults, OGI in children often results in significant vision loss. However, considering the varying degrees of visual recovery demonstrated by some of the authors' patients, particularly those with no light perception at admission, the authors believe an eye-sparing approach is warranted in pediatric OGI.