To investigate the regional characteristics and changing history in the era of ocular injuries, in order to use the results for the treatment and prevention of ocular injuries.

A retrospective survey was performed with 372 patients, who were hospitalized due to ocular injuries from January 1, 1996 to December 31, 2005, using the year 2000 as the divider for establishing the 2 groups. The change of incidence in industrial ocular injuries, sex, age, distribution of season, side, mode, cause, nature, primary ocular surgery, complications, secondary operation, and change in visual acuity were reviewed statistically.

The number of patients in group one was 223 and 149 in group two with a greater incidence in males (87.9%). The incidence peaked at the third decade of age in group 1, and at the fifth decade in group 2. The incidence was highest in the autumn in group 1, and in the spring in group 2. Regarding the mode of ocular injury, industrial injury was the most common, and ocular injuries from violence, traffic accidents and sports increased. Within the two groups, the most common cause of injury involved a piece of iron, and the most common surgery was primary corneal closure. The most common complication was corneal opacity. There was no statistical difference in the improvement of visual acuity between the two groups ( p =0.251).

This survey gathered the characteristics and changing history in the era of ocular injuries in order to use the results for the treatment and prevention of ocular injuries.