title: Open globe eye injury characteristics and prognostic factors in southern Israel: a retrospective epidemiologic review of 10 years experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Open globe injury (OGI) is a common cause of unilateral visual loss in all age groups.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe and identify clinical characteristics, prognostic factors and visual outcome in a group of patients with OGI in southern Israel.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective review of all cases of OGI examined in the ophthalmology department at Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel, from 1996 to 2005. A total of 118 eyes with OGI were detected and analyzed statistically. We recorded demographic data, cause of injury, initial visual acuity (VA), associated globe morbidity and injuries, Ocular Trauma Score (OTS), surgical procedures, postoperative complications, and final VA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the study group was 36.1 years and included 84% males. The median follow-up was 13.3 months (range 6-66 months). The annual incidence of open globe injuries was 3.1 cases/100,000. In 84 cases (71%) the mechanism of open eye injury was laceration. Most of the injuries were work related (45%). Bilateral injury was observed in two patients. An intraocular foreign body was observed in 45 eyes (38%). Primary surgical repair was performed in 114 eyes. Six patients (5.1%) had complications with posttraumatic endophthalmitis and 12 patients (10.1%) underwent evisceration or enucleation. Clinical signs associated with poor visual outcomes included reduced initial VA, eyelid injury, and retinal detachment at presentation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study population the most important prognostic factors in open globe injury were initial VA, eyelid injury and retinal detachment.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. knyazer@bgu.ac.il
authors: Boris
authors: B
authors: Knyazer
authors: Natalya
authors: N
authors: Bilenko
authors: Jaime
authors: J
authors: Levy
authors: Tova
authors: T
authors: Lifshitz
authors: Nadav
authors: N
authors: Belfair
authors: Itamar
authors: I
authors: Klemperer
authors: Ronit
authors: R
authors: Yagev
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005123:Eye / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D014792:Visual Acuity