• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.428-437
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• 1994

Optic nerve injury serious enough to result in blindness had been reported to occur in 3% of facial fractures. When blindness is immediate and complete, the prognosis for even partial recovery is poor. Progressive or incomplete visual loss may be ameliorated either by large dosage of steroid or by emergency optic nerve decompression, depending on the mechanism of injury, the degree of trauma to the optic canal, and the period of time that elapses between injury and medical intervention. We often miss initial assessment of visual function in management of facial fracture patients due to loss of consciousness, periorbital swelling and emergency situations. Delayed treatment of injuried optic nerve cause permanent blindness due to irreversible change of optic nerve. But by treating posttraumatic optic nerve injuries aggressively, usable vision can preserved in a number of patients. The following report concerns three who suffered visual loss due to optic nerve injury with no improvement after steroid therapy and/or optic nerve decompression surgery.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.81-85
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• 2009

As panfacial fractures are involved multiple fracture, there are possibility of many pre-operative & postoperative complications. It is necessary to do exact pre-operative evaluation, appropriate operation and care, for preventing and treating these complications, especially related to optic nerve injury. The complication occurs rarely after periorbital facial bone fracture, and indirect injuries may occur as a result of impact shearing force transmitted into the optic nerve axons or to the nutrient vessels of the optic nerve. Also indirect injuries may occur after the force of impact because of vasospasm and swelling of the optic nerve within the confines of the nonexpansile optic canal. It is necessary to active evaluation and treatments involving decompression of the orbit surgically and high dose steroid therapy in relation to panfacial fracture. But sometimes this treatments are limited due to severe swelling of the face and related multiple bone fractures in the body. This case showed the delayed neuropathy, at last visual loss, in spite of megadose methylprednisolone administration. The purpose of this article is to present indirect traumatic optic neuropathy that is one of many complications in panfacial bone fracture.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.50 no.5
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• pp.273-284
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• 2024

Objectives: Traumatic optic neuropathy (TON), a relatively rare condition, can cause visual functional impairment and permanent functional damage. Surgeons should be familiar with its diagnostic criteria and treatment to effectively manage cases of facial trauma with TON. We investigated the feasibility of navigation-assisted endoscopic trans-nasal optic nerve decompression (ETOND) to treat TON in maxillofacial trauma patients. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from the clinical investigation of four consecutive patients, two males and two females with an average age of 75 years, with midfacial fractures and TON between April 2021 and September 2023. All patients had swelling and subcutaneous periorbital hemorrhage accompanied by optic nerve canal and zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures on the affected side. Three patients had lacerations on the lateral eyebrow or upper eyelid. All patients were evaluated by an ophthalmologist for visual impairment; two patients could see hand motion at a 30 cm distance, one patient could perceive light, and one did not have any loss of visual acuity. Among the four patients, three had visual impairment immediately after the injury, and one showed delayed impairment. Results: The patients were treated with navigation-assisted ETOND conducted by an endoscopic rhinologist. Three of the ETONDs were performed along with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF); the other ETOND was delayed. Orbital reconstruction was performed in three patients. Steroid therapy was administered to two patients, one pre-operatively and one post-operatively. The two patients with pre-operative vision loss showed improved visual acuity post-operatively, and the two patients with no pre-operative visual impairment had no vision loss associated with ORIF for their midfacial fractures. No patient had post-operative complications. Conclusion: Navigation-assisted ETOND can be performed easily by endoscopic rhinologists; and prompt examination, diagnosis, and treatment are important in patients with facial trauma and TON.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.553-559
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• 2008

Purpose: The lateral orbital wall fractures have been previously classified by some authors. As there are some limitations in applying in their own classifications, we hope to present a refined classification system of the lateral orbital wall fracture and to identify the correlation between the specific type of the fracture and clinical diagnosis. Methods: The facial bone CT scans and medical records of 78 patients with the lateral orbital wall fractures were reviewed in a retrospective manner. The classification is based on the CT scan. In type I, the fracture and its segments are away from the lateral rectus muscle and in type II, they are next to or slightly pushing the muscle in axial CT scan. In type III, the fracture segments compress and displace the longitudinal axis of the muscle or the optic nerve in axial view of CT scan. Type IV fracture includes multiple fractures found around the orbital apex or optic canal in coronal view of CT scans of the type I and type II fractures. Results: The most common fracture pattern was type I(43.6%), followed by type IV(29.5%), type II(20.5%), and type III(6.4%). As diplopia and restriction of extraocular muscles were found in type I and II fractures, severe ophthalmic complications such as superior orbital fissure syndrome, orbital apex syndrome, and traumatic optic neuropathy were found in type III and IV fractures almost exclusively. Conclusion: We propose an easy classification system of the lateral orbital wall fracture which correlates closely with ophthalmic complications and may help to make further treatment plan. In Type III and IV fractures, severe ophthalmic complications may ensue in higher rates, so early diagnosis and treatment should be performed.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.89-92
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• 2006

Penetrating facial wounds are uncommon and are usually life threatening because of the possibility of brain damage. There are three possible pathways for penetrating the cranium through the orbit: via the orbital roof, via the superior orbital fissure, or between the optic canal and lateral wall of the orbit. Brain injuries resulting from the penetrating wounds show extensive parenchymal damage, hemorrhage, and brain edema. Transorbital penetrating wounds can lead to diverse lesions of the optical apparatus, including the eye globe, the optical nerve, and the chiasm. Moreover, intracerebral structures may be hurt, and bleeding and infection may occur. Early diagnosis and prompt debridement are the fundamental factors affecting the outcome of a penetrating facial wound. An 87-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department with a grinder impacted into the medial aspect of the right eye. On presentation, the man was fully conscious with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 15 and complained of a visual disturbance of the right eye. Computed tomography demonstrated a right orbital medial and inferior wall fracture, a frontal bone fracture, and a contusional hemorrhage in frontal lobe of the brain. A craniotomy with hematoma removal and repair of the orbital floor was done. He showed no neurological deficits except right visual loss. This appears to be the first report of a man with a penetrating facial wound caused by a grinder, who presented with a potentially disastrous craniocerebral injury that did not lead to any serious neurological seguelae.