Background: To determine the prognostic indicators of functional outcome in eyes with severe posterior segment trauma managed with pars plana vitrectomy.
Methods: One hundred and six eyes of 101 patients were retrospectively reviewed to determine the accuracy of a number of factors in predicting functional outcome after surgery. These potential prognostic indicators included initial visual acuity (VA), retinal detachment (RD), type of trauma, presence of intraocular foreign body (IOFB), type of IOFB, posttraumatic endophthalmitis, hyphema, choroidal detachment, initial hypotonia, accompanying lens subluxation/dislocation, and severe vitreous hemorrhage. In our study, functional success was defined as VA > or =5/200. Fisher's exact and chi-square tests were used for statistical analysis.
Results: The mean follow-up time was 12.8+/-0.52 (8-18) months. Thirty-three eyes (31.13%) had functional success. Forty-four (68.7%) of 64 eyes with preoperative RD had anatomical success (total retinal reattachment). Predictors of poor visual outcome (VA < or =5/200) were found to be poor initial VA (p<0.0001), presence of RD (p<0.001), and presence of endophthalmitis (p<0.05). No statistically significant correlation was found between the other predictors surveyed and visual outcome (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Vitreoretinal surgery can improve anatomical and functional success in eyes with severe posterior segment trauma. Poor initial VA, RD, and posttraumatic endophthalmitis are poor predictors of visual outcome.