Abstract

To study the overall clinic-epidemiologic profile of orbital and/or periocular injuries and their important causes in various age groups in patients presenting to a tertiary care centre. Study design and Methods: Prospective observational study. Consecutive patients of all age groups with periorbital or orbital trauma both blunt and penetrating were included. Minor cuts and abrasions not requiring primary repair, thermal and chemical injuries and patients not willing for consent were excluded. A detailed history regarding the mode, type, place of injury was taken. Visual acuity and detailed ocular examination was done to look for associated ocular injuries. Results: Out of 118 patients, 86% were males. Significant difference was found except in children ≤5 years where no predominance was found. Most common place of injury in children <18years was at home (61%), and in all children ≤5 years, the place of injury was at home. In patients above 18years most common place of injury was outdoors (46%). Most common mode of injury in <18 years was road traffic accidents, followed by falls. Most common in <5 year children was blouse hook injury in 39%, fall in 28%, dog bite in 17%. 5-18 years- RTA in 42%, wooden stick in 21%, fall in 17%. <5 years- most common type of injury was canalicular injury in 67% (most commonly due to blouse hook fastener), lid laceration in 22%. 5-18 years- most common injury was traumatic optic neuropathy in 33%, fracture orbit in 29%, lid laceration in 20%. >18 years- lid laceration was most common injury in 30%, fracture orbit in 29%, traumatic optic neuropathy in 22%. Associated ocular injury- Seen in 11% cases. Conclusions: Majority of patients who get periocular or orbital injuries were males except in patients less than 5 years. Canalicular injury by blouse hook was most common in children less than 5 years of age. Blouse hook injury is found to be a major avoidable cause of injury in less than 5-year-old children, followed by falls and dog-bite injury. Blouse hook injury is peculiar to Indian scenario. Most of the injuries in children occur at home. Road traffic accidents are a major cause of trauma in adolescents and adults. Traumatic optic neuropathy was common in adolescents whereas lid laceration and fracture orbit were most common in adults.

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