Ocular injuries secondary to motor vehicle accidents.

PURPOSE: Ocular trauma is one of the main causes of visual reduction or loss, particularly in the younger population. METHODS: In this prospective study the authors included 67 consecutive patients with ocular trauma secondary to motor vehicle accidents who were hospitalized in the Athens University Eye Clinic from September 1993 to December 1996. The mean follow-up time was 31 months, the mean age was 31.7 years, and the ratio between men and women was 2.7:1. RESULTS: Thirty-two of the accidents (47.76%) took place in populated areas. Among the 67 injured persons, 58 (86.56%) were car passengers, 8 (11.95%) were on motorcycles, and 1 (1.49%) was a pedestrian. Only 3 (5.2%) of the 58 persons injured inside automobiles used safety belts and none of the motorcyclists used crash helmets during the accidents. Fifty-three (79.1%) ocular traumas were penetrating in nature, with glass fragments being the main cause in 36 of them (67.9%). Among the 53 injured persons experiencing penetrating ocular trauma, 49 had a follow-up time of more than 6 months. Twenty of them (40.8%) underwent one surgical procedure, 22 (44.9%) were submitted to two surgical procedures, and the remaining 7 persons (14.3%) needed three or more operations. Eighteen (36.7%) of the 49 patients with penetrating ocular trauma and with 6 months follow-up had a final visual acuity of less than 1/20, 21 (42.9%) had a visual acuity of more than 5/10, and 3 (6.1%) underwent enucleation. Among the 67 patients, 61 had a follow-up time of more than 6 months, regardless of their history of penetrating ocular trauma. Eighteen of them (29.5%) had a final visual acuity of less than 1/20, 8 (13.1%) had a visual acuity between 2/10 and 4/10, and 22 (52.5%) had a visual acuity of more than 5/10. CONCLUSIONS: Because motor vehicle accidents can cause severe ocular trauma, it would be helpful for drivers to be more careful and aware of motor vehicle regulations. There seems to be a great need of enforcement of seatbelt laws in Greece.

A preliminary assessment of macular function by MF-ERG in myopic eyes with CNV with complete response to photodynamic therapy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate by multifocal electroretinogram (MF-ERG) macular function before and after photodynamic therapy (PDT) in myopic eyes with choroidal neovascularization (CNV). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten eyes with classic subfoveal CNV due to pathologic myopia were studied with MF-ERG before and after PDT in order to evaluate the results of PDT with verteporfin. The post-treatment follow-up was 6 months. Visual acuity testing, ophthalmic examinations, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiograms, and MF-ERG recordings were used to evaluate the results of PDT with verteporfin. The post-treatment period was 6 months. RESULTS: Before treatment, the electrical response densities in the foveal and perifoveal areas were apparently decreased in all patients. Six months after treatment, the mean retinal response densities in the same areas were found to be higher than before treatment. CONCLUSIONS: MF-ERG evaluates objectively the macular function in myopic eyes with CNV. After successful PDT, the electrical activity of the foveal and parafoveal areas is higher than before treatment. This finding postulates the efficacy of PDT in the treatment of CNV.