LAUSR

BACKGROUND: Ocular injuries are common in patients with orbital fractures. However, in Tanzania, there is a paucity of studies investigating ocular injuries associated with orbital fractures. Hence, this study aimed to determine the ocular injuries in patients who have sustained orbital fractures in Tanzania. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out for a year at Muhimbili National Hospital. All patients who had sustained orbital fractures were recruited for the study. The questionnaire was designed to obtain patients’ sociodemographic information, presenting ocular findings, and outcomes after treatment. The data were analyzed using IBM, NY, USA ® SPSS Statistics version 27. RESULTS: The study included 131 patients, with 125 (95.4%) being males, and the mean age of participants was 32.22 ± 9.87 years. All patients (100%) presented with one or more ocular injuries ranging from 1–7. Most (n = 40, 30.5%) had three different ocular injuries. While all patients had minor ocular injuries, only 16 (12.2%) had major ocular injuries. During follow-up postmanagement of the orbital injuries, 12 (9.2%) patients had ocular-related complications despite the management offered. CONCLUSION: The ocular injuries are evident in all patients who have sustained orbital bone fractures; however, the occurrence of major/serious ocular injury is low. Subconjunctival hemorrhage is the most frequently observed ocular injury.