Outcome of endoscopic trans-ethmosphenoid optic canal decompression for indirect traumatic optic neuropathy in children

To evaluate the safety and outcomes of endoscopic trans-ethmosphenoid optic canal decompression (ETOCD) for children with indirect traumatic optic neuropathy (ITON).

From July 1st, 2008 to July 1st, 2015, 62 children diagnosed with ITON who underwent ETOCD were reviewed. Main outcome measure was improvement in visual acuity after treatment.

Altogether 62 children (62 eyes) with a mean age of 11.26 ± 4.14 years were included. Thirty-three (53.2%) of them had residual vision before surgery while 29 (46.8%) had no light perception (NLP). The overall visual acuity improvement rate after surgery was 54.84%. The improvement rate of patients with residual vision (69.70%) was significant higher than that of patients with no light perception (NLP) (37.9%) (P = 0.012). However, no significant difference was shown among patients with different residual vision (P = 0.630). Presence of orbital and/ or optic canal fracture and hemorrhage within the post-ethmoid and/or sphenoid sinus resulted in poor postoperative visual acuity, duration of presenting complaints did not affect final visual acuity or did not effect outcomes. Intervention performed in children presenting even after 7 days from the injury did not influence the final visual outcome. Three patients developed cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea and one encountered cavernous sinus hemorrhage during surgery. No other severe complications were observed.

Children with residual vision had better postoperative visual prognosis and benefited more from ETOCD than children with NLP. Intervention performed in children presenting even after 7 days from the injury did not influence the final visual outcome, however, this needs to be reassessed in children presenting long after the injury.Treatment should still be recommended even for cases of delayed presentation to hospital.