Special issue on ophthalmic trauma

A prospective study on ophthalmic trauma at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre in West Malaysia by Soong et al. in 2008 found work-related injuries to be a major cause of ophthalmic trauma.The majority of patients were males, typically of working age, and only a dismal 2.5% had eye protection. 1 Another prospective report from Kuching in East Malaysia by Mallika et al. reported similar patterns of ophthalmic trauma. 2 Thanigasallam and Reddy reviewed ocular injuries in Malaysia in 2017 and concluded that protective devices must be worn to prevent injuries and that health education to prevent injuries was crucial. 3hese Malaysian reports set the stage for our highly anticipated and timely Malaysian Journal of Ophthalmology (MyJO) special issue on ophthalmic trauma, which aspires to showcase articles on ophthalmic trauma in order to combat vision loss in this area.Ophthalmic trauma comprises injuries to the eyeball and adjacent structures such as the eyelids, tear ducts, and orbit as well as the face.These injuries may not only cause blindness but also disfigure individuals, affecting their productivity and livelihood, and amount to considerable costs involved in the management, rehabilitation, and even significant financial compensation.The Asia-Pacific Ophthalmic Trauma Society (APOTS) was formed with the mission to build a network and team of eye care professionals with a special interest in ophthalmic trauma to advance clinical care, science, and research in ophthalmic trauma. 4n the article "Ophthalmic trauma: Are we doing enough?", Grover highlighted the magnitude of ophthalmic trauma worldwide. 5In this review, it was noted that while as many as 1.6 million people are blind from eye injuries, the number of eye injuries are as high as 55 million and comprise 38-65% of ophthalmic emergencies.More recent data from the International Globe and Adenexal Trauma (IGATES) Study shows the mean age of patients is similar to our local population at 31.1 ± 17.4 years, with a similar male majority of 78.3%.Again work-related injuries were prominent, followed by road accidents. 6