[Enophtalmos of the anophtalmic socket: incidence of the orbital morphology and therapeutic implications. Clinical study of 86 cases].

AIM OF THE STUDY: From a light asymmetry to a sunken eye aspect, a great disparity between the results after anophtalmic socket rehabilitation is noticeable: what are the factors involved in the degree of residual enophtalmos following excision of the eye? The litterature's response is based on physiopathological considerations around intraorbital architectural disturbance. We propose a geometrical approach related to the existence of different morphological types of orbit.

PATIENTS AND METHOD: Eighty-six records of eviscerated and enucleated patients have been studied and submitted to a statistical analysis. A preliminary study has defined four types of orbit depending on the shape and operture of the orbital "window": two opposite types IA and III, a type II intermediate and a particular one, the type IB. A classification of enophtalmos' degree allows to analyze the parameters chosen and to identify the predictive factors.

RESULTS

The statistical analysis confirms the incidence of the orbital morphology on the degree of enophtalmos but do not support the theories based on the intraorbital septal architecture changes. Depending on the orbital shape and the container-content relation, the volume loss is more visible on the whole orbitopalpebral surface of opened and high orbit but remains centered on the anteroposterior position of the implant of a closed and lengthened orbit. At the contrary to the type III, the type IA is not favorable for the anophtalmic patient and predispose to a higher degree of enophtalmos. This new approach has therapeutic implications on primary and secondary surgery for volume loss replacement.

CONCLUSION

The success of anophtalmic socket rehabilitation is influenced by the orbital morphological type that has to be considered in the therapeutic strategy.