Ocular and adnexal injuries after two major earthquakes in Turkey on February 6, 2023

This study aimed to determine the forms of ocular and adnexal injuries and to examine the treatment modalities applied after two major earthquakes in Turkey on February 6, 2023.

Following the earthquakes, the medical records of 34 patients admitted with emergency ophthalmic complaints to Hatay Training and Research Field Hospital and Etlik City Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Of these patients, 35 eyes of 34 individuals diagnosed with earthquake-related ocular and adnexal injuries were included in the study. Demographic characteristics were recorded, including ocular and adnexal findings, treatment modalities, and postoperative complications.

Of the patients, 16 (47.1%) were female, and 18 (52.9%) were male. The mean age was 37.38 ± 17.3 years. The mean time from the earthquake to the first admission to the hospital was 3.82 ± 1.78 days. Initial and final best-corrected visual acuities (BCVA) were 0.54 ± 0.66 logMAR and 0.22 ± 0.41 logMAR, respectively (p = 0.0003). The initial and final BCVA of 2 eyes was no light perception. The most common forms of ocular/periocular injury associated with earthquakes were eyelid laceration (n:25, 71.4%) and orbital fracture (n:17, 48.6%). The most common accompanied systemic trauma was extremity/rib fractures (38.2). The most frequently performed surgery was the primary repair of the eyelid/canalicular (n:17, 48.6%).

While earthquake-related ocular and adnexal traumas are relatively uncommon, understanding the specific injury types, promptly identifying cases requiring urgent intervention, and mastering effective treatment modalities are essential for minimizing the risk of severe permanent visual impairment in these patients.