Facial Fracture-Associated Blindness

Introduction: Yet uncommon, blindness is a potential associated injury of facial fractures. Methods: Epidemiology, mechanisms, fracture types, and outcome of facial fractures-associated blindness in a 10-year period are retrospectively reviewed. Results: Out of 907 facial fractures patients, 10 had blindness, giving a frequency of 1.1%. There were 9 men and 1 woman whom age range was 6 to 59 years (mean: 31.2 years). Intentional injury patients were significantly the most at risk of blindness (P = 0.02). In all the patients, the fracture involved at least 1 of the orbit walls. Risk of blindness was significantly higher in naso-fronto-orbito-ethmoidal complex fractures (P = 0.03). The vision loss was recorded in 13 eyes (unilateral in 7 patients and bilateral in 3). Its predominant mechanism was a globe rupture or perforation, recorded in 8 eyes. A treatment with intention to improve the vision was attempted in 1 patient only. None of the patients had vision recovery. Discussion: The findings of this study commend comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluation in any patient with an orbit wall fracture. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Rasmané Béogo, MD, Department of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery, CHU Souro Sanou, 01 BP 676, Bobo-Dioulasso 01, Burkina Faso; E-mail: rbeogo@yahoo.fr Received 10 February, 2017 Accepted 4 December, 2017 The authors report no conflicts of interest. © 2018 by Mutaz B. Habal, MD.

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