To investigate the clinical manifestations, management, ophthalmologic complications, and prognosis of traumatic optic neuropathy.

A retrospective survey of 55 patients who visited Chosun Hospital from April 2009 to February 2016 was performed. The sex, age, causes, fracture characteristics, neurologic injury, and combined craniofacial bone fractures of patients who were diagnosed with traumatic optic neuropathy were statistically analyzed. Also, we investigated the rate of visual impairment in the patients with intracranial hemorrhaging and craniofacial fracture on radiologic examination and development of sensory strabismus.

Traffic accidents were the most common cause of traumatic optic neuropathy. Among the patients, more than 60% showed severe visual impairment of less than 0.1 that lasted until the final observation. Altitudinal visual defects were the most common visual field defect and presented as marginal atrophy and central scotoma. While intracranial hemorrhaging was showed in 52.4% of the patients, craniofacial fracture was observed in 90.5% of the patients. The initial visual acuity was decreased when the patient presented with orbital fracture located in the retrobulbar area. Intravenous high-dose steroid injection did not affect visual prognosis. Sensory strabismus occurred more commonly under conditions of poor initial vision ( p = 0.007) or young age ( p < 0.001).

Traumatic optic neuropathy in Korea has a high rate of initial visual impairment with poor prognosis of vision. In addition, high-dose intravenous steroid injection did not result in visual improvement.