Evaluation of orbital injuries

Trauma to the orbit is evaluated with a careful history, a thorough physical examination, and specific radiographic studies. Orbital trauma involves a wide range of conditions, including soft tissue adnexal injury, orbital contusion, optic nerve damage, ocular injury, intraorbital foreign bodies, and orbital fractures. This article emphasizes the importance of an accurate history and a comprehensive examination. It highlights relevant questions to ask, discusses the meaning of pertinent complaints, describes steps in the examination, discusses the diagnostic importance of the physical findings, and recommends specific radiographic studies for accurate identification and localization of orbital fractures and intraorbital foreign bodies.