UNILATERAL OPTIC NEUROPATHY AFTER COMPRESSIVE THORACIC INJURY: A CASE REPORT

Compressive thorax injury is mostly observed in road traffic accidents which lead to multiple traumas. Eye findings after thoracic injury can be Purtscher's retinopathy, Valsalva retinopathy, and even blindness. We report a rare case of unilateral optic neuropathy associated with compressive chest injury. In our case, a 31-year-old construction worker developed irreversible optic nerve damage after ground collapsed on him and buried him up to his neck. There was no evidence of head trauma and blood loss, but multislice computed tomography showed diffuse brain edema caused by prolonged hypoxia due to compression of the thorax.