Symptomatology of fractures of the zygomatic complex. Analysis of a series of patients

The purpose of this study was to evaluate signs and symptoms presented by a series of patients attended in a hospital clinic with a diagnosis of fracture of the zygomatic complex. Fifty consecutive patients with a diagnosis of unilateral fractures of the zygomatic complex were studied. Demographic data and symptomatology were obtained. Patients were asked about the presence of any symptoms. a subsequent physical examination included visual inspection and bimanual palpation of the face for the presence of specific signs. The data obtained were statistically analyzed and possible correlations among factors were evaluated. The most frequent signs were: step deformity of bone margin (100%), flattening of cheek (94%), periorbital ecchymosis (90%), facial asymmetry (86%), oedema (82%), epistaxis (68%), and subconjuntival ecchymosis (52%). The most frequent symptoms were: pain (82%), infraorbital anesthesia (70%), and pain on mouth opening (58%). There were few correlations between personal data or classification of the fractures and specific signs or symptoms. Statistical analyses showed a correlation only for subconjunctival ecchymosis with gender (p=0.032), and for diplopia with fracture of the orbital floor (p=0.031). It was concluded that there are signs and symptoms that can be considered typical of fractures of the zygomatic complex and that there are few correlations between the factors studied. a proposta deste estudo foi avaliar os sinais e sintomas apresentados por uma serie de pacientes atendidos em uma clinica hospitalar, com diagnostico de fratura do complexo zigomatico. Cinquenta pacientes consecutivos com diagnostico de fraturas unilaterais do complexo zigomatico foram estudados. Dados demograficos e a sintomatologia foram obtidos. os pacientes foram questionados sobre a presenca de algum sintoma. a seguir, o exame fisico incluiu a inspecao visual e a palpacao bimanual da face na pesquisa por sinais especificos. os dados obtidos foram analisados estatisticamente, e possiveis correlacoes entre fatores foram avaliadas. os sinais mais frequentes foram: degrau na margem ossea (100%), afundamento da regiao jugal (94%), equimose periorbitaria (90%), assimetria facial (86%), edema (82%), epistaxe (68%) e equimose subconjuntival (52%). os sintomas mais frequentes foram: dor (82%), parestesia infraorbitaria (70%) e dor na abertura da boca (58%). Houve poucas correlacoes entre dados pessoais ou classificacao das fraturas e sinais ou sintomas especificos. as analises estatisticas mostraram correlacao somente para equimose subconjuntival com genero (p=0,032) e diplopia com fratura do assoalho de orbita (p=0,031). Foi concluido que existem sinais e sintomas que podem ser considerados caracteristicos para fraturas do complexo zigomatico, havendo poucas correlacoes entre os fatores estudados.