title: Computed tomography in the assessment of the postenucleation socket syndrome.
abstract: To gain a deeper insight into the cause of the postenucleation socket syndrome, high-resolution computed tomography (CT) was performed in 22 anophthalmic patients before insertion of an intraorbital implant. The anatomy of the normal and the anophthalmic orbits was compared. Computed tomographic scans were made either in the sagittal and the coronal plane or in the sagittal and transverse plane. The authors discovered a sagging and retraction of the superior muscle complex and a downward and forward redistribution of orbital fat. Finally, an upward displacement of the distal end together with a retraction of the inferior rectus muscle was found. These phenomena were measured and appear to cause a rotatory displacement of orbital contents from superior to posterior and from posterior to inferior which is best demonstrated in the sagittal plane. This redistribution of orbital contents can explain the sequelae of the anophthalmic orbit. No signs of orbital fat atrophy could be demonstrated. With this knowledge, the proper treatment of patients with a postenucleation socket syndrome is ascertained.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Koornneef
authors.forename: F W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Zonneveld
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Groet
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Otto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015353:Eye Enucleation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005137:Eye, Artificial; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009915:Orbit / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D009916:Orbital Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D013577:Syndrome; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed