Use of bovine pericardium as a wrapping material for hydroxyapatite orbital implants.
OBJECTIVE
To present the results of 27 patients who had enucleation for malignant melanoma of the choroid with hydroxyapatite implant wrapped in bovine pericardium.


METHODS
A retrospective study was performed on 27 patients, 12 males and 15 females, who had enucleation as a primary treatment for their choroidal melanomas. The patients were followed up at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and then every 6 months. A conformer was fitted at 1 week and an artificial eye at 1 month. The average follow up was 1.7 years.


RESULTS
No patient had extrusion of the implant. One patient needed repair of the wound, two patients required a lateral tarsal strip, and one patient developed a conjunctival granuloma, which did not need excision. In one patient there was shallowing of the inferior fornix. The cosmetic results and ocular movement were satisfactory in all but one patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Use of bovine pericardium as wrapping material for the hydroxyapatite implants has shown promising results with minimal extrusion rates providing an effective alternative for sclera, eliminating the potential risks of CJD.
Gupta
M
M
Department of Ophthalmology, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK.
Puri
P
P
Rennie
I G
IG
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D002417:Cattle; D002830:Choroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D017886:Durapatite; D015353:Eye Enucleation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D020273:Orbital Implants; D010496:Pericardium; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D017886:Durapatite