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Surgical management of pediatric eye injuries
Tahra AlMahmoud1,2, Mohamed Elhanan2, Hanan N Alshamsi2
1Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates.
Insights
Pediatric eye injuries requiring surgery can lead to vision loss. Prompt treatment improves visual acuity (VA), but open-globe injuries often result in lasting vision limitations, particularly from corneal damage.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Surgery
- Trauma Care
Background:
- Unilateral childhood blindness is frequently caused by eye injuries.
- Pediatric eye trauma necessitates hospitalization and surgical repair.
- Understanding outcomes is crucial for preventing vision loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the management strategies for pediatric eye injuries.
- To evaluate the visual outcomes following surgical repair of childhood eye trauma.
- To identify factors contributing to vision limitations after severe eye injuries.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of pediatric patients undergoing surgical eye repair (2012-2017).
- Data collection included demographics, injury characteristics, clinical findings, surgical procedures, and visual acuity (VA) pre- and post-operatively.
- Analysis of causes for persistent vision impairment.
Main Results:
- 39 pediatric eyes underwent surgical treatment; mean age 3 years, 61.5% males.
- Most injuries occurred at home during play (80%), often from sharp objects (35.8%).
- Corneal lacerations (53.8%) and open-globe injuries (53.8%) were common; 15% had vision ≤20/200 post-surgery, with corneal issues being the main cause of limitation.
Conclusions:
- Eye injuries remain a significant cause of pediatric vision impairment.
- Early hospital presentation and prompt surgical intervention are vital.
- Despite timely care, severe injuries like open globes can lead to significant, lasting vision deficits, especially corneal damage.
Background:
Eye injury is a leading cause of unilateral childhood blindness. The purpose of this research was to study the management and visual outcome of pediatric eye injuries necessitating hospitalization and surgical repair.
Materials And Methods:
This is a retrospective study of children having eye injury that needed surgical repair over the period of 2012 and 2017. Demographic data, place of occurrence, activity at the time of injury, place and cause of injury, presenting signs, surgical interventions, visual acuity (VA) before and after surgery, and causes for vision limitations were studied.
Results:
Thirty-nine eyes of children were surgically treated. The mean (range) age of the patients was 3 years (1-15 years). Nearly 61.5% were males. Almost 80% of injuries occurred at home and while playing (71.8%). Trauma with sharp objects (35.8%) was the most common cause of injury. Majority presented to the hospital in <6 h (89%), mainly with eye pain (95%). Corneal laceration (53.8%), traumatic cataract (15.3%), and foreign body (15.3%) were the most common clinical findings. Twenty-one (53.8%) eyes sustained open-globe injuries. Fifteen percent had vision of 20/200 or worse at follow-up. The VA improved significantly at follow-up (P < 0.05). The major cause of vision limitation was the cornea (33%).
Conclusions:
Eye injury is a major cause of vision loss in children. Despite early presentation to our hospital and prompt interventions, significant number of our pediatric patients sustained limited VA in ruptured globe injuries.
