Thirty-one cases of blowout fracture were treated at Dokkyo University Hospital between 1980 and 1987.
Twenty-one cases were male and ten cases were female. They aged from 4 years to 65 years (average, 23.7 years).
Causes of fracture were blows in 21 cases falling down in 6 cases and dropping in 4 cases.
Chief complaints and major symptoms were diplopia, disturbance of eye movements and enophthalmos.
Occipito-frontal polytomography and computed tomography in addition to sinus-x-ray examinations by Caldwell's view and Waters' view were recommended for the diagnosis. Ophthalmological evaluation included visual acuity, eye movements, traction test and Hess chart test.
Twenty-four cases were treated surgically and seven cases were treated coservatively. Among the surgically treated cases, diplopia and disturbance of eye movements were improved in a ratio of 70.8%, 83.3%, respectively.
We could not determine the relations of the operation time to the improvement in diplopia and eye movements. But, if the symptoms remained without a tendency to improve after the swelling had disappeared, surgical treatment should be considered positively.
