Open Globe Injuries Presenting With Normal or High Intraocular Pressure.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency, clinical characteristics, and visual outcomes of patients who present with high or normal intraocular pressure (IOP) and open globe injuries. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: University of Maryland Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center. PATIENT OR STUDY POPULATION: All cases of open globe injury presenting to The University of Maryland Medical Center from July 2005 to January 2014. OBSERVATION: Demographics, initial physical examination, computed tomography findings, IOP of the affected and unaffected eyes, and follow-up evaluations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) IOP 10 mm Hg or greater and (2) visual acuity. RESULTS: Of 132 eyes presenting with open globe injury, IOP was recorded in 38 (28%). Mean IOP for the affected and unaffected eyes was 14±10.3 mm Hg and 16.6±4.1 mm Hg, respectively. Twenty-three (59.4%) eyes had IOP greater than 10 mm Hg. Six eyes (16.2%) had IOP greater than 21 mm Hg. Using bivariate analysis, IOP greater than 10 mm Hg was associated with posterior open globe injury (P=0.01), posterior hemorrhage (P=0.04), and intraconal retrobulbar hemorrhage (P=0.05). Adjusting for age, sex, and race, IOP greater than 10 mm Hg was associated with the presence of posterior open globe injury on clinical examination (P=0.04). Higher presenting IOP was found to predict light perception or worse vision (P=0.01). Multivariate analysis showed that poor presenting vision was the best predictor of poor final vision (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: High IOP does not exclude open globe injury. It is a frequent finding in patients with open globe injuries and may be associated with posterior injury and poor visual prognosis.