Endoscopic optic nerve decompression for traumatic optic neuropathy in children.

OBJECTIVES: To discuss the necessity of nasal endoscopic surgery for pediatric traumatic optic neuropathy and its therapeutic effect.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 41 children (involving 43 eyes) with traumatic optic neuropathies who were treated in our department by endoscopic optic nerve decompression and postoperative corticosteroid in large doses from Feb. 2000 to Apr. 2010. A 6-month follow-up study was performed for each patient in order to observe the postoperative eyesight recovery and analyze the therapeutic effect.

RESULTS: The eyesight of 11 patients out of 41 patients reached 0.2-0.3 postoperatively, the eyesight of 16 patients recovered from counting fingers to 0.1 after the surgery, the eyesight of 6 patients ranged from light sensation to seeing the hand movement, the eyesight of 7 children did not recover from the operation. The prognosis in the children who underwent the decompression 7 days post-traumatically was much worse than other children.

CONCLUSIONS: The age of the patients was not the main element influencing the decision-making process for the operation. The main elements affecting the prognosis were the degree of injury and the time interval between the trauma and the time when patients underwent the surgery. The operation opportunity and plan are very important to a successful operation.