Diseases of the
Eye socket
1. Thyroid orbitopathy
It is an autoimmune disorder that affects to varying degrees the tissues of the eye socket, which is the bony cavity into which the eye is inserted and is associated with a dysfunction of the thyroid gland, fundamentally, hyperthyroidism, although not always.
This disease is characterized by the immune system acting against soft tissues of the orbit and periorbital region, such as the extraocular muscles, the eyelids or the fat located behind the eye, causing inflammation of these structures.
Initially, symptoms are mild and include dryness, eye redness, a feeling of pressure around the eyeball, and heaviness of the eyelids. However, as the inflammation evolves, the patient may present a retraction of the eyelid (eyelid retraction), exaggerated opening and displacement of the eye outwards (exophthalmos or bulging eye disease), alterations in vision such as permanent double vision (diplopia) or strabismus, and even loss of visual acuity due to compression of the optic nerve.
Treatment of Thyroid Orbitopathy
In the early stages of this disease, treatment is aimed at protecting the ocular surface from irritation by exposure by administering artificial tears, applying cold compresses, and wearing sunglasses.
When this inflammatory condition worsens, anti-inflammatory treatment with corticosteroids may be necessary. In some patients, once this inflammatory period is over, the eyes return to their normal condition and do not require surgical treatment.
However, surgery can be used in cases of high risk of vision loss due to pressure in the orbit, double vision or when the patient needs to solve an aesthetic problem due to exophthalmos or eyelid retraction that are unacceptable. These defects can be treated by orbital decompression surgery or eyelid surgery, respectively.
Orbital decompression surgery is a surgical procedure that involves opening space in the orbital cavity to reduce excess pressure inside. This gives the muscles and fat more space, allowing the eye to move back into its normal position.
2. Evisceration/Enucleation
In cases of severe trauma, intraocular tumours that are not susceptible to other treatments or in very serious infectious or inflammatory conditions, this type of surgery, which consists of the removal of the eyeball, is indicated.
There are two types of surgical techniques. Evisceration, when the contents of the eyeball are removed, leaving its outer layers behind, and enucleation, when the eyeball is removed completely.
Other pathologies
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