TYPES, CAUSES AND TREATMENT OF EYELID TRAUMA

Background. Eyelid trauma is a common cause of visit to the ophthalmologist, but there are just a few recent epidemiological studies. Purpose of our study was to analyse eyelid injuries according to the mechanism of injury, causes of eyelid injuries and different types of treatment.Methods. A retrospective review of data from patients who received surgical treatment for eyelid injuries at the Ophthalmology Department, Maribor General Hospital in 2000 and 2001 was carried out. Eyelid injuries were divided into a minor trauma with patients treated as outpatients and major trauma patients who needed hospital treatment. According to the mechanism of injury eyelid injuries were divided into a blunt trauma, sharp trauma and combination of both. They according to the localisation injuries were divided into injuries of upper lid, lower lid and both lids at the same time. We looked for causes of eyelid injuries, accompanying injuries and different types of treatment of eyelid injuries.Results. Out of 295 patients 239 were men (81%) and 56 were women (19%). 27 patients (9%) suffered major trauma and needed hospitalisation while 268 suffered minor trauma and they were treated as outpatients (91%). Blunt trauma was present in 195 cases (66%), sharp trauma was present in 40 cases (14%) and in 60 cases (20%) the injury was combination of sharp and blunt trauma. The most common causes were sudden falls in 89 cases (30%), followed by violence in 85 cases (29%). 215 patients (73%) clinically showed injury of upper lid, 46 patients (16%) showed injury of the lower lid and in 34 cases (11%) both lids were injured. Accompanying injury of the eyeball was present in 138 patients (47%) and face injuries in 17 patients (6%).251 patients (85%) needed skin sutures, 6 patients (2%) needed skin and subcutaneous tissue suturing, lid margin was treated in 33 cases (11%) and canaliculus was treated in 5 cases (2%).Conclusions. Results of our study showed that eyelid injuries were more frequent in man and blunt trauma was the most frequent type of injury. The most common cause of injury was sudden fall. Injuries were mostly minor, and patients were treated as outpatients. Only 9% of patients suffered major trauma and needed a hospitalisation. In almost half of patients additional injury to the eye was present. According to the results of our study of eyelid trauma, which showed big diversity of injuries and high frequency of additional injuries to the eye, ophthalmologic examination and