Ophthalmic Injuries in Patients with Maxillofacial Trauma Presenting to a Teaching Hospital in North Central Nigeria

Ophthalmic injuries in patients with maxillofacial trauma are potential causes of a permanent visual loss. These injuries can easily be missed; hence, there is a need for the ophthalmic evaluation of patients with maxillofacial trauma. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence, patterns, etiology, and risk factors of ophthalmic injuries in patients presenting with maxillofacial trauma in a teaching hospital in North Central Nigeria.

The study was a hospital-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study of 67 patients with maxillofacial trauma recruited over a 6-month study period. Information on the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the study participants was obtained. The data were analysed using SPSS version 20 statistical software. Pearson's chi-square test was used to test for statistical significance.

Ophthalmic involvement was seen in 77.6% of the study participants, with males and individuals aged 21-30 years being more commonly affected. The leading cause of ophthalmic injuries in patients with maxillofacial trauma was road traffic accident (RTA) (75.5%). Others included assaults and fall from heights. Amongst the RTA cases, 71.4% was due to motorcycle-related accident with 91.9% of the patients with ophthalmic injuries observed not to use helmet/seat belt. The use of alcohol and not wearing protective gears were seen as the risk factors. Simple zygomatic complex fracture was the most common trauma observed (44.2%).

Ophthalmologic assessment should be conducted for all patients presenting with maxillofacial trauma. The laws on the use of protective gears such as helmets and seat belts should be enforced.