Cross-Sectional Study of Syrian Civilians Exposed to Eye Injury in Syrian Civil War

Objective: To investigate eye trauma in Syrian civilians who were admitted to hospital due to injuries in Syrian civil war. Material and Methods: Two hundred seventy-seven eyes of 214 civil patients, who admitted to the hospital of Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Medicine between May 2012 - December 2012, were included in this prospective, cross-sectional study. Results: The mean age of the patients was 27.35 ± 10.99 years (2 – 50). 95.8%of them were male and 4.2%of them were female. Of the patients, 36%were worker and 21%were student. Admission to hospital was within 24 hours after injury in 28%and between 1-3 days in 48%of the patients. The reason of the injury was shrapnel in 81.3%and bullet in 18.7%. The eye injuries were monocular in 70.6%and binocular in 29.4%. According to the type of injury, 59.9%were classified as closed globe trauma and 40.1%were classified as open globe trauma. In closed globe trauma cases, superficial foreign body was the diagnosis in 45.8%while 21.1%were diagnosed as mixed injuries. Zone 1 was affected in 45.2%and zone 2 was affected in 21.1%. Visual acuities were stage 1 in 38%and stage 2 in 25.3%. In open globe trauma cases, 35.1%were diagnosed as penetrating injuries and 27.9%were diagnosed as intraocular foreign body. Zone 3 was affected in 55%and zone 1 was affected in 27.9%. Visual acuities were stage 5 in 45%and stage 4 in 41.4%. Conclusion: Eye traumas which occur during the war particularly affects young male individuals and can lead to permanent visual loss