title: Causes for removal of the eye: a study of 890 eyes.
abstract: This study is a review of 890 cases of eye enucleations performed over a period of 22 years. The major cause for enucleations was trauma, accounting for 39.7% of the eyes enucleated. Chronic inflammatory diseases accounted for 22.1%, glaucoma for 11.5% and tumours for 9.2% in this group. Retinal diseases were responsible for 5.5% of the eyes; vascular occlusion for 5%; and miscellaneous causes for the remaining 7%. Injuries were everyday tools and small flying missiles caused most of the trauma. Previously planned surgical operations accounted for 15% of the enucleations. Forty-eight of these eyes had epithelial or fibrous downgrowths resulting from inflammation, secondary glaucoma, and phthisis bulbi. A more careful selection of cases and better surgical techniques might significantly lower these statistics. Also, vascular occlusion should be given a high level of suspicion in all intractable cases of glaucoma of unexplained etiology. As a general rule, enucleations should not be performed because of the suspected presence of sympathetic ophthalmia.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D009879:Ophthalmia, Sympathetic / Q000601:surgery; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications