Optical coherence tomography patterns and outcomes of contusion maculopathy caused by impact of sporting equipment

BACKGROUND: To describe the patterns and outcomes of contusion maculopathy after ocular contusions resulting from accidental impact with sporting equipment. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of interventional case series. Patient Population: Twenty-one eyes of 21 patients who sustained blunt ocular trauma while playing a sport. Intervention/Observation Procedure(s): Surgery or observation by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Main Outcome Measure(s): The morphologic changes within the macula in the early stages after injury and changes in visual function in the early and recovery stages after injury. RESULTS: In the early stage, OCT visualized four injury patterns: type Ι, commotio retinae (14.3%, 3 eyes) with increased reflectivity of the ellipsoid zone and retinal pigment epithelium; type II, incomplete macular hole(38.1%, 8 eyes) with three structural changes, i.e., a partial V-shaped macular hole, a jar-shaped macular hole with retinal tissue at the bottom, and a connective bridge attached to retinal tissues; type III, full-thickness macular hole (33.3%, 7 eyes); and type IV, foveal hemorrhage (14.3%, 3 eyes). During recovery, OCT images of types Ι and II showed almost normal macular morphology with better visual acuity (mean ± SD,0.02 ± 0.1 and 0.14 ± 0.21logMAR.). In types III and IV, the visual prognosis was poor (0.52 ± 0.34 and 0.22 ± 0.16), OCT images showed retinal atrophy at the fovea despite vitrectomy and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas tamponade. CONCLUSION: Early OCT images identified four patterns of contusion maculopathy with different treatment outcomes. In types Ι and II, the visual function and retinal morphology remained intact. With types III and IV, respectively, the treatments of vitrectomy and SF6 gas tamponade for patients were effective.