Reconstruction of exenteration socket with Integra® dermal substitute and skin graft.

The authors report their experience with the use of Integra® dermal substitute, in combination with a thin skin graft, following an orbital exenteration. The clinical case described relates to a 42-year-old gentleman with an ulcerative retractile lesion of the right lower eyelid. Histopathological examination diagnosed a moderately differentiated epidermoid carcinoma infiltrating the orbit. Total exenteration was necessary as well as secondary radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Rehabilitation of the exenterated socket was performed by inserting an Integra® patch, followed by an additional thin skin graft one month later. The authors review the various available techniques for exenterations, their indications and the various possible secondary rehabilitations. Despite being less utilized, the dermal substitute technique, which is relatively new, seems to offer quicker and easier rehabilitation compared to traditional techniques. A comparative study would be necessary to define superiority among the different techniques of exenteration, with respect to the speed of rehabilitation and resistance to radiation therapy.

[Epidemiology of patients with eye-related emergencies in a university hospital: A cross-sectional study identifying factors associated with true emergency]. / Caractéristiques des patients examinés en urgence par un ophtalmologiste dans un CHU : résultats d'une étude transversale analytique identifiant des facteurs associés au caractère de véritable urgence.

PURPOSE: To describe epidemiological characteristics of outpatients examined by university medical center ophthalmologists in emergency rooms (ER), and to determine factors associated with true emergencies. METHODS: A monocentric cross-sectional study including all patients examined by an ophthalmologist in the ER of in the university hospital of Nancy over a two-month period was conducted. Demographics and medical characteristics were assessed. The visits were categorized by ophthalmologists as true emergencies or not. RESULTS: Among the 1,308 patients included, the median (IQR) age was 49 (32-64) years, and 56 % were males. The main reasons for seeking care were eye redness (32.6 %), eye pain (30.0 %), eye trauma (26.1 %), and visual loss (23.3 %). Nearly 40 % of the consultations were judged as not truly emergent. Factors significantly associated with true emergencies were: age under 60, male gender, some reasons for seeking care (visual loss, eye redness, eye pain), and a period of less than 3 days between symptom occurrence and the ER visit. CONCLUSION: The proportion of non-emergent ER visits was relatively high, and factors associated with true emergencies have been identified in our study. Standardized protocols may be useful to help emergency physicians and nurses to determine when to refer a patient to an ophthalmologist.