[Functional prognosis in ocular trauma. Does visual deficiency help in localizing the injuries that cause it?].
BACKGROUND
Prevalence of reported trauma-related blindness is 0.6% with almost half of serious ocular injuries involving the retina. Causes of visual deficit (VD) in ocular trauma were identified in patients with different grades (visual capacity), in order to determine the rate of poor functional prognosis at initial evaluation caused by posterior segment involvement and to identify a grade that could predict it.


METHODS
Ocular trauma referrals were re-qualified (1995-2003) according to the standardized classification. VD (grade >1) and zone were evaluated. The rate of VD and zone III with VD were determined. Injuries causing VD were identified and grouped by zone. The rate of these injuries was compared by zone, between each grade and the remaining, with chi2.


RESULTS
Five hundred fifty-seven eyes were included (mean age 27.7 years), 165 had VD (29.6%, CI 95% 25.8-33.4); 93 had zone III involvement (16.7%), 53 of whom had VD (9.5%, CI 95% 7.1-11.9%). Among injuries that caused VD (n = 323), 102 involved zone I (31.6%), 144 zone II (44.6%), and 77 zone III (23.8%). Injuries in zone III were more frequent in grade 5 (52%) than in the remaining groups (21.5%, p = 0.0005, OR 3.9).


CONCLUSIONS
In 90.5% of the eyes (CI 95%, 88.1-92.9), injuries caused VD by means of anterior segment involvement or did not cause it at all. A high rate of ocular trauma patients, even those with grade 5 at initial evaluation, may have an opportunity for visual recovery with early referral.
Lima-Gómez
Virgilio
V
Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Juárez de México, Av. Instituto Politécnico Nacional 5160, Col. Magdalena de las Salinas, 07760 Mexico DF. vlimag@aol.com
García-Pacheco
Juan Manuel
JM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity