Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 1997 Oct;124(4):562-4.
doi: 10.1016/s0002-9394(14)70879-7.

Optic nerve avulsion from a diving injury

A K Fard  1 , S L Merbs, D J Pieramici
Affiliations
Case Reports

Optic nerve avulsion from a diving injury

A K Fard et al. Am J Ophthalmol. 1997 Oct.

Abstract

Purpose: To report a patient with optic nerve avulsion caused by forceful rotation of the globe that occurred when his thumb penetrated the orbit while he was diving.

Methods: A 17-year-old boy was initially examined for sudden loss of vision after jumping feet first from a bridge 50 feet above a river. Upon hitting the water, he felt his right thumb push into his right globe. The patient underwent ophthalmologic and imaging examination.

Result: Examination disclosed a tear of the optic nerve head from the sclera temporally in the right eye.

Conclusion: Optic nerve avulsion occurs secondary to forceful rotation of the eye with tearing of the optic nerve as it exits the globe.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources