Clinicopathological review of 1146 enucleations (1980-90)

The clinicopathological data of 1146 enucleated eyes obtained from 1146 patients (485 females and 661 males; mean age 57.4 (SD 21.6) years) between 1980 and 1990 were reviewed. The most common underlying diseases included trauma (37.4%), malignant tumours (19.6%), systemic diseases (diabetes, vascular diseases) (17.1%), surgical diseases (retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataract, corneal dystrophy) (14.1%), infection and inflammation (7%). The most frequent indications for enucleation were secondary angle closure glaucoma (34.9%), ocular malignant tumours (21.7%), atrophia or phthisis bulbi (18.7%), ocular infectious or inflammatory disease (14.7%), and recent trauma (enucleation was performed within the first month after trauma) (11.2%). Histopathologically, diagnoses included secondary angle closure (691 eyes or 60.3%), rubeosis iridis (550 or 48%), endothelialisation of the iridocorneal angle (198 or 17.3%), and retrocorneal membrane (143 or 12.5%). These data indicate that rubeosis iridis, often followed by irreversible secondary angle closure, represents the most common pathogenetic reason for enucleating eyes. Management procedures must be directed towards the prevention or consequent therapy of rubeosis iridis.