AIM: To investigate a possible correlation between visual acuity (VA) prognosis and the presence at baseline of various orbital and ocular signs in patients affected by indirect traumatic optic neuropathy (ITON). METHODS: From July 1st, 2012 to July 1st, 2015, 224 adults diagnosed with ITON who underwent endoscopic trans-ethmosphenoid optic canal decompression (ETOCD) were reviewed. Visual outcome before and after treatment were taken into comparison. RESULTS: Accompanied older in age, longer time to medical treatment and existence of optic canal fracture (OCF) were the independent predictors for poor postoperative VA and lower improvement degree of visual acuity (IDVA), while worse preoperative VA was predictive factor for poor postoperative VA only. Mean value of IDVA in patients with OCF was 0.19±0.30. Mean value of IDVA in patients without OCF was 0.29±0.35. IDVA in cases without OCF was significant higher than those with OCF (t=2.272, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients suffered from ITON without OCF before ETOCD have better surgical outcome than those with OCF. Older in age, longer time to medical treatment and existence of OCF are independent factors for poor VA prognosis and lower IDVA. Preoperative VA is independent factor for VA prognosis only.