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Diplopia, commonly known as double vision, can be debilitating
in adults. It is frequently caused by blowout fractures, which are a
frequent consequence of facial trauma. Blowout fractures around the
eye interfere with extraocular muscle function, perturbing eye movements
and causing diplopia. The goal of this study is to determine which patients
with blowout fractures will ultimately have diplopia and which will
benefit from early surgical intervention to correct the fracture and
avoid this complication. The considerable volume of patients at our
Level I Trauma Center affords us the unique opportunity to study blowout
fractures. This prospective study will include patients (N = 50) with
blowout fractures who are seen at the Division of Oculoplastics of the
Department of Ophthalmology. For each patient, we will assess and tabulate
clinical data (eg, presence and severity of initial double vision, decreased
facial sensation, presence of abnormal ocular findings) and analyze
the radiologic findings (eg, volume of fracture site, degree of prolapse
of orbital tissues). Statistical analysis will be used to determine
and correlate factors that may be predictive for the development of
persistent diplopia. Our goal is to identify risk factors in patients
with blowout fractures who will benefit from early surgery and will
thus avoid permanent disabling diplopia. |
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