Porous polyethylene orbital implant in patients with retinoblastoma.

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess integration of porous polyethylene allografts in 37 anophthalmic sockets of retinoblastoma enucleations. A clinical review. Thirty-four patients (19 female, 15 male) whose age when diagnosed with retinoblastoma ranged from 1 to 72 months participated. Sixteen patients had unilateral retinoblastoma and 18 had bilateral retinoblastoma. Enucleation (3 bilateral, 31 unilateral) with implantation of a porous polyethylene (PP) sphere (16-20 mm in diameter) was performed. Of the 37 spheres, 34 were primary implants and 3 were secondary implants. In the eight patients with postimplantation exposure, the PP implant had to be removed. Data on eight sockets with exposed PP implant were measured. There were no implant extrusions, but conjunctival dehiscence-exposure occurred in eight patients (21.6%). In 3 of 37 sockets, the volume replacement was not good, and in 5 cases, fornices were too shallow to accommodate a well-fitting prosthesis. In all but one socket, the overall cosmesis was graded subjectively from acceptable (grade 2) to excellent (grade 3). Although the PP implant is a useful and a less-expensive alternative to hydroxyapatite in the porous matrix implant category, if conjunctival exposure takes place, the implant presents a serious management problem because of its nonresponsiveness to medical and surgical treatments.