Vascularisation of ocular coralline hydroxyapatite implants.
Vascularisation of coralline hydroxyapatite used to replace the enucleated bulb is of critical importance for the uncomplicated implantation of a motility peg connecting the implant with the cosmetic prosthesis. Technetium-99m diphosphopropanedicarboxylic acid (DPD) single-photon emission tomography (SPET) was used to evaluate the rate of vascularisation as well as the time required for completion of vascularisation. Twenty-four patients were enrolled in the study, which was designed to evaluate vascularisation 10 days, 2 months and 4 months after implantation of a coralline implant. Nineteen patients completed the study and the visual impression of the completion of the vascularisation was scored from 0 (no vascularisation) to + (complete vascularisation) for each patient. No tracer accumulation was detected in any patient at the 10-day examination. Increasing vascularisation was demonstrated with time, and full vascularisation of the coralline implant was seen in all but one case by 4 months after implantation. We conclude that vascularisation of ocular coralline hydroxyapatite implants occurs early and is completed by 4 months after implantation in most cases, but should be confirmed at this time by 99mTc-DPD SPET.
Menzel
C
C
Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Bonn, Germany.
Grünwald
F
F
Busin
M
M
Mönks
T
T
Hotze
A L
AL
Schomburg
A
A
Pavics
L
L
Biersack
H J
HJ
D000328:Adult; D004164:Diphosphonates; D017886:Durapatite; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005137:Eye, Artificial; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D009915:Orbit / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000601:surgery; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013997:Time Factors; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D004164:Diphosphonates; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; C033905:technetium Tc 99m 1,1-diphosphonopropane-2,3-dicarboxylic acid; D017886:Durapatite