Ayurvedic Management of Closed Globe Injury

Abstract

Closed globe injury is a form of blunt ocular trauma without a full-thickness wound of the eyewall. Contusional injuries may vary in severity from a simple corneal abrasion to an extensive intraocular damage. Berlin’s edema (commotio retinae) is a retinal manifestation of blunt trauma associated with visual disturbance. In Ayurveda, traumatic ocular disorders are described under Nayanabhighata Pratishedha Adhyaya of Susrutha Samhitha Uttara Tantra. A 37-year-old male presented with pain, redness, watering and blurring of vision in the left eye two days after blunt trauma from a wooden branch while travelling on a motorcycle. Examination showed subconjunctival hemorrhage, anterior uveitis, retinal edema involving the superior, inferior and temporal retina and Berlin’s edema. A multimodal Ayurvedic intervention was administered, comprising internal medicines and external therapies. Following treatment distant visual acuity improved from 6/9 to 6/6 and near vision from N10 to N6. Pain, redness, watering, subconjunctival hemorhage, congestion and visual disturbance resolved. Follow-up OCT demonstrated restoration of normal foveal contour with near-complete resolution of retinal edema. This case documents clinical and visual improvement following multimodal Ayurvedic management. However, a single case cannot establish treatment efficacy or causality, and further controlled clinical studies are required.