War Ocular Injuries in Tripoli Eye Hospital, 2011

Abstract

The study was designed to study the type and severity of ocular injuries that had occurred during the Libyan
revolution. It is a retrospective study that was conducted in Tripoli Eye Hospital from February 2011 to December
2011.
History was taken, ophthalmic examination, X-ray orbit and/or computerized tomography were done to rule out
intraocular . B-scan ultrasonography was done to examine fundus (if required). The treatment varied according
to type and severity of ocular injury.
Total number of patients was 225 out of them 204 male (90.6%) and 21Female (9.3%). The most common causes
were firearm shootings 44%, blunt trauma 28.4%, explosions 18.6% and mines 0.8%.
Most injured were men around 20 to 30 years, in right eye 50.2% (113), left eye 41.3% (93) and bilateral 8.4%.
Closed eye injury 54.2%, open eye injury (45.7%) of the cases.
The most common injury was corneoscleral perforation, intraocular foreign body, ruptured globe 13eyes (5.7%).
Visual acuity was poor in severely injured eyes, no light perception bilaterally in 2.6%.
Other body injuries in 11 patients (4.8%) ranged from burns to limb amputations. The most common performed
surgery was primary repair in 32 % (72 eyes) followed by vitrectomies in 6.2% (14 eyes), cataract surgery (12
eyes) 5.3%, evisceration in 1.3% (3 eyes).
During the Libyan revolution, war ocular injury had become increasingly common, in the same period the number
of routine admissions was reduced as routine work was cancelled and road accidents declined secondary to severe
fuel shortage. Visual prognosis is poor in severely injured eyes despite surgical interventions.