TITLE:
Pathophysiological mechanisms of blindness in facial trauma: A review
AUTHORS:
André Luis Ribeiro Ribeiro, Adriana Maria Melo dos Reis, Driene Góes Ramalho, Sérgio de Melo Alves Júnior, João de Jesus Viana Pinheiro
KEYWORDS:
Blindness; Facial Trauma; Retrobulbar Hemorrhage; Traumatic Optic Neuropathy
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Stomatology,
Vol.3 No.2,
May
28,
2013
ABSTRACT: Blindness is a serious complication that can occur
after facial trauma and may represent the loss of one of the most useful senses
in the human relationship with the world—the sight. This study aims to review the
pathophysiology of blindness related to facial trauma in order to identify the
mechanisms by which it develops and to recognize the signs and symptoms
required to establish proper diagnosis and treatment. Blindness following
facial trauma may occur due to mechanisms that involve injury to the eyeball,
optic nerve and eyelids. The leading causes of blindness resulting from
facial trauma, and which may be altered by medical interference, are related to
retrobulbar hemorrhage and traumatic optic neuropathy, which require extremely
rapid diagnosis and can be accomplished with the resources available in most
trauma-based emergency services. The authors conclude that loss of vision
tends to be irreversible in direct eyeball and optic nerve lesions, but can be
prevented in retrobulbar hemorrhage and traumatic optic neuropathy. Eyeball and, especially, sight accuracy evaluation should be included in the initial care of trauma patients, so that the
lesions that might lead to loss of vision are diagnosed and treated early.