Eye Trauma

Overview

• Eye trauma can result in a range of injuries, both blunt and penetrating.

Types of injuries

Blunt trauma

Following the anatomical structures of the eye from front to back, the important injuries are:

• lid injury
• orbital blow-out fracture
• corneal abrasion
• anterior hyphema
• traumatic mydriasis
• lens dislocation
• vitreous hemorrhage
• retinal detachment
• traumatic iritis
• ruptured globe

Penetrating trauma

The major types of penetrating eye injury are:

• eye lid lacerations
• corneal lacerations
• scleral lacerations
• perforating trauma (+/- an exit wound) including occult foreign body penetration (e.g. when metal strikes metal)

There may also be associated injuries to:

• intraocular structures — e.g. lens, iris, retina
• extraocular structures — e.g. lids, extra-ocular muscles, orbital bones, optic nerve and brain

References and Links

Lifeinthefastlane.com

• Ophthalmology Befuddler 013 — Eyes Wide Split
• Ophthalmology Befuddler 031 — Blunt Trauma to the Eye
• Ophthalmology Befuddler 033 — Bashed, Blind and Bulging

Journal Articles and Textbooks

• Ehlers JP, Shah CP, Fenton GL, and Hoskins EN. The Wills Eye Manual: Office and Emergency Room Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease (5th edition). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2008.