PURPOSE: The goal of our study was to assess the epidemiological characteristics of ocular injuries in the Cap Bon region.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 100 patients, hospitalized and treated in the department of ophthalmology at the Mohamed Taher Maamouri university medical center in Nabeul, Tunisia for an open globe injury between January 2006 and November 2013. The mean duration of follow-up was 15.9months.
RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 31.9years. Domestic accidents accounted for 30% of cases of trauma, followed by violence (29%). The trauma was sharp in most cases (54%). The injury was penetrating in most cases (65.7%). The initial visual acuity was≤1/10 in 69.8% of cases. The wound was isolated to the cornea in 59.7% of cases and scleral in 25% of cases. The most common associated ocular lesions were traumatic cataract (35%), followed by hyphema (32%). An intraocular foreign body was present in 4% of cases. At the final examination, 41.8% had a final visual acuity≤1/10.
CONCLUSION: Open globe injuries represent a real public health problem given their psychological and functional repercussions. The best treatment is preventative, involving better awareness in the family, school and work environment.