Analysis of risk factors for patients with traumatic optic neuropathy and comparison of visual outcomes of management strategies

Background

Traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) is a rare complication of facial trauma that results in vision loss. Clinical diagnosis of TON is based on a history of head trauma and an ophthalmic examination; however, the risk factors for TON and the ideal treatment strategy remain undetermined. This study aimed to identify predictive risk factors for TON and evaluate the effectiveness of current treatments with respect to visual outcomes in patients with TON.

Methods

This study retrospectively enrolled patients with periorbital facial bone fracture between 2008 and 2019. Initial facial bone computed tomography, ophthalmic exam results, initial Glasgow Coma Scale, and Injury Severity Score were recorded. This study classified patients into 4 intervention groups (i.e., medication, surgery, combination therapy, and observation) to compare the outcome of visual acuity.

Results

This study enrolled 1168 patients with facial bone fractures, 93 (7.96%) of whom were diagnosed as having TON. Independent risk factors for TON included optic canal fracture, medial orbital wall fracture, retrobulbar hematoma, and head Abbreviated Injury Scale ≥4. Patients with TON who initially presented with no light perception tended to have poor final visual acuity (VA) outcomes. The results indicated no significant difference in VA improvement among patients receiving observation, megadose corticosteroid therapy, surgical decompression, or combined steroid therapy and decompression.

Conclusion

Clinicians can achieve early prediction of TON in patients with an initial unconscious state and the identified risk factors. The results indicated that the conservative observation yielded noninferior VA outcomes in patients with TON compared with those receiving medication or surgical treatment.