Changes in anterior chamber depth due to contusion.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate changes in anterior chamber depth (ACD) prospectively in patients with recent unilateral contusion but no signs of angle recession, using a scanning peripheral anterior chamber depth analyzer (SPAC).

Methods: Among patients whose chief complaint was recent unilateral contusion and who showed no signs of angle recession by gonioscopy in 2006 and 2007, those who satisfied the following criteria were subjected to SPAC evaluation of ACD from the central to the peripheral region: no history of ocular diseases or ocular surgery including laser treatment, and similar refractory error in both eyes before trauma.

Results: Thirty-seven patients satisfied the criteria (29 males, 8 females; age: 28.6 +/- 23.5 years). Fourteen patients presented with commotio retinae. Fifteen showed no ocular manifestations related to the contusion. The mean SPAC-determined ACD grades of contused and noncontused eyes were 10.7 +/- 1.6 and 9.8 +/- 2.1, respectively, demonstrating that the contused eyes had significantly larger ACD values than the noncontused ones (p = 0.0005). The contused eyes had larger ACD values in both the central and the peripheral regions. The difference in ACD between the contused and noncontused eyes tended to increase with greater distance from the center. The equivalent refractive errors were -2.3 +/- 2.2 and -1.7 +/- 2.1 dpt, respectively (p = 0.004). There were no significant differences in best-corrected visual acuity and intraocular pressure between the contused and the noncontused eyes.

Conclusion: Contusion may increase ACD particularly in the peripheral region even in patients who have no apparent manifestations in the anterior ocular segment.