TRAUMATIC CORNEAL LACERATION IN NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Trauma Surgery
• Public Health

Background:

• Corneal lacerations result from ocular trauma and can cause blindness, especially where corneal transplant services are limited.
• Outcomes are influenced by injury cause, corneal involvement, and healthcare resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the presentation, causes, and management outcomes of traumatic corneal lacerations.
• Focus on patients at Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of traumatic corneal laceration cases over one year (November 2013 - October 2014).
• Data collected included patient demographics, injury details, visual acuity, surgical interventions, and outcomes.
• Analysis performed using SPSS version 16.

Main Results:

• Thirty-two cases were analyzed; 50% of patients were children under ten.
• Sticks and motorbike accidents were common injury agents; the left eye was more frequently affected.
• Presenting visual acuity was often poor (90.6% ranged from 6/12 to hand movement/no light perception).
• Associated injuries included uveal prolapse (87.5%) and cataract (46.9%).
• Surgical repair was performed within 36-48 hours in most cases.
• Good visual acuity (≥6/60) was achieved in 9 eyes after 6 weeks.
• Presenting visual acuity and injury site correlated significantly with visual outcome.

Conclusions:

• Traumatic corneal lacerations are a major cause of ocular morbidity, disproportionately affecting children.
• Preventive strategies, including public eye-health education, are recommended to mitigate this public health issue.