title: [Traumatic hyphema caused by contusion in Zaire].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the clinical characteristics of hyphema.
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of all 57 consecutive patients with traumatic hyphema due to non perforating ocular injury seen during a ten-year period (from 1982 to 1991) were reviewed. All patients were outpatients and were treated with topical application of corticosteroids with or without topical application of 0.5 or 1% atropine sulfate and antibiotics. For an intraocular pressure greater than 24 mmHg, topical timolol maleate 0.5% and, if necessary, oral acetazolamide sodium were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 49 (86%) male and 8 (14%) female for sex ratio of 6:1. The average age of patients was 20.2 years (range, 2 to 61 years). Blows were responsible for injury in 53%; projectiles for 30% and explosions for 7% of all hyphemas. The most common associated injuries to the eye included cornea edema (40%), cataract (36%) and mydriasis (26%). Posterior synechiae (25%) and blood staining of the cornea (22%) were the most frequent complications that occurred. Secondary haemorrhage occurred in 7% of the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Heavily pigmented eye, proptosis, paucity of facilities for care may be responsible of the high rate of complications.
authors.affiliation: Service d'ophtalmologie, Clinique Universitaire de Kinshasa, Zaïre.
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Kaimbo
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Muleya
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Lubeji
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003288:Contusions / Q000150:complications*; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006988:Hyphema / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000209:etiology; D014792:Visual Acuity
vernacular_title: Hyphéma traumatique par contusion au Zaïre.