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Bony orbital development after early enucleation in humans
C Hintschich1, F Zonneveld, L Baldeschi
1Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, D-80336 Munich, Germany. c.hintsch@ak-i.med.uni-muenchen.de
The British Journal of Ophthalmology
|February 13, 2001
Summary
Enucleation reduces bony orbital volume, with greater reduction over time. This volume decrease is minimal and does not cause facial asymmetry, suggesting adaptation rather than growth retardation.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Plastic Surgery
- Radiology
Background:
- Enucleation, the removal of the eyeball, can impact the bony orbital volume.
- Understanding post-enucleation orbital changes is crucial for reconstructive surgery and patient aesthetics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the extent of bony orbital volume reduction following enucleation in human patients.
- To investigate the correlation between orbital volume reduction and factors like age at enucleation and time since enucleation.
Main Methods:
- Volumetric analysis of bony orbital dimensions using 3D reconstructions from high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans.
- Comparison of orbital volumes in 29 patients with anophthalmia and 4 controls.
- Categorization of patients based on age at enucleation (childhood vs. adulthood) and time since enucleation.
Main Results:
- All patients with long-standing anophthalmia exhibited reduced bony orbital volumes.
- Median volume reduction ranged from 1.9% to 7.0% depending on patient group.
- A statistically significant correlation was found between volume reduction and the time interval since enucleation (p=0.003).
Conclusions:
- Enucleation leads to a reduction in bony orbital volume in both children and adults.
- The observed volume decrease is less significant than commonly presumed and does not result in noticeable facial asymmetry.
- The findings suggest a mechanism of volume adaptation influenced by time post-enucleation, rather than solely growth retardation.