title: An Important Cause of Blindness in Children: Open Globe Injuries.
abstract: Objective. Our aim was to present and evaluate the predictive factors of visual impairment and blindness according to WHO criteria in pediatric open globe injuries. Methods. The medical records of 94 patients younger than 18 years who underwent primary repair surgery were reviewed retrospectively. The initial and final visual acuity, anterior and posterior segment findings, and zone of injury were noted. The patients were classified as blindness in one eye or visual impairment in one eye. Results. Of 412 patients who presented with open globe injury, 94 (23%) were under 18 years old. Fifty-four (16 females, 38 males) children were included. The mean age of the children was 7.1 ± 4.1 years. According to WHO criteria, 19 of 54 patients (35%) had unilateral blindness and 8 had unilateral visual impairment (15%). There was no significant relationship between final visual acuity and gender and injured eye. In visually impaired and blind patients, presence of preoperative hyphema, retinal detachment, and zone 2 and zone 3 injuries was significantly higher. Conclusion. Presence of hyphema and zone 2 and zone 3 injuries and retinal detachment may end up with visual impairment and/or blindness in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Uludag University, School of Medicine, 16059 Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Meral
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yildiz
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Uludag University, School of Medicine, 16059 Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sertaç Argun
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kıvanç
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Uludag University, School of Medicine, 16059 Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Berna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Akova-Budak
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Uludag University, School of Medicine, 16059 Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Tuncer
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Ozmen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Şevket Yılmaz Training and Research Hospital, 16310 Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sadık Gorkem
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Çevik