Surgical management of camel-related craniofacial injuries.

Background: There are no studies focused on the types and management of camel-related craniofacial injuries. Objectives: We aimed to analyze the pattern of injuries that required surgical management and their specific operative treatment. Methods: We prospectively collected data of all patients who were admitted to Al Ain Hospital with camel-related craniofacial injuries that were treated operatively during the period of January 2015 to January 2020. Results: Eleven patients were studied; all were males having a median (range) age of 29 (19-66) years. Falling from a camel was the most common mechanism of injury (45.5 %) followed by camel bite (36.4 %). The most common injured region was the middle third of the face, which accounted for 56.5% of the bony fractures. Zygomatico-maxillary complex fractures were present in 60% of patients who fell while riding a camel. The most common surgical procedure performed in our patients was an open reduction with internal fixation (54.5%). There was no mortality. Conclusions: camel-related craniofacial injuries are complex. The main mechanism of injury is falling from a camel on the face causing fractures of the zygomatico-maxillary complex. These fractures usually need open reduction with internal fixation. Taking safety precautions may help in injury prevention.

Globe rupture caused by a camel bite.

Camel bites are uncommon. They are more common during the rutting season where male camels become more aggressive. Herein, we report a unique case of a 25-year-old man who was repeatedly bitten to his face and neck by an aggressive camel that resulted in left eye evisceration, parotid duct, and facial nerve injury. To our knowledge, Globe rupture caused by a camel bite has not been previously reported.

Surgeon-performed point-of-care ultrasound in severe eye trauma: Report of two cases.

The indications of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in the management of multiple trauma patients have been expanding. Although computed tomography (CT) scan of the orbit remains the gold standard for imaging orbital trauma, ultrasound is a quick, safe, and portable tool that can be performed bedside. Here we report two patients who had severe eye injuries with major visual impairment where surgeon-performed POCUS was very useful. One had a foreign body injury while the other had blunt trauma. POCUS was done using a linear probe under sterile conditions with minimum pressure on the eyes. Ultrasound showed a foreign body at the back of the left eye globe touching the eye globe in the first patient, and was normal in the second patient. Workup using CT scan, fundsocopy, optical coherence tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging of the orbits confirmed these findings. The first patient had vitreous and sub retinal haemorrhage and a full thickness macular hole of the left eye, while the second had traumatic optic neuropathy. POCUS gave accurate information concerning severe eye injuries. Trauma surgeons and emergency physicians should be trained in performing ocular ultrasound for eye injuries.