Prognostic factors in open globe injuries.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the main factors related to visual outcome after open globe injuries (excluding intraocular foreign bodies).


METHODS
Retrospective study analyzing consecutive ocular lacerations, primarily repaired in this institution, between January 1993 and January 2000. Of the 364 cases, 283 (77.75%) lacerations were statistically analyzed, correlating the preoperative variables with the postoperative visual acuity (VA). Excluded from this study were all patients with less than 6 months of follow-up, previous ocular surgery, unreliable information on VA, intraocular foreign bodies and endophthalmitis. When a bilateral injury was detected, only 1 eye was randomly chosen.


RESULTS
It was observed, after statistical analysis (multivariate analysis), that the most important factors related to postoperative poor VA (less than 20/100) were: the length of the laceration, the elapsed time between the injury and the surgery and the presence or absence of vitreous loss, cataract (lens damage), hyphema, laceration posterior to rectus muscle insertion and retinal detachment.


CONCLUSIONS
With this study, it was possible to point out the most important factors related to visual prognosis in open globe injuries. The results found are similar to results previously reported.
State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. cruvinelisaac@hotmail.com
David Leonardo
DL
Cruvinel Isaac
Vinícius Coral
VC
Ghanem
Maurício Abujamra
MA
Nascimento
Marcelo
M
Torigoe
Newton
N
Kara-José
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015807:Eye Injuries, Penetrating / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006988:Hyphema / Q000209:etiology; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000293:injuries; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009915:Orbit / Q000293:injuries*; D011379:Prognosis; D012160:Retina / Q000293:injuries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012590:Sclera / Q000293:injuries; D014792:Visual Acuity