[Orbital exenteration].

PURPOSE: Orbital exenteration is a disfiguring surgery. The surgery is mostly performed for advanced neoplasms of the eyelid in an attempt to achieve cure with tumor free margins. Reconstruction is a real challenge, especially in elderly patients with significant comorbidities. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We operated 15 patients presenting with palpebral and orbital tumors, between January 2000 and December 2007. We collected the clinical data concerning patients, tumor, treatment, and recurrences.
RESULTS: Ten male and five female patients with a mean age of 56 years at diagnosis presented with ulcerative palpebral malignant tumor, and impaired ocular motility. Basal cell carcinoma was the most common (80%). All patients underwent exenteration, (subtotal three, total eight, and extended four patients). The cavity was filled with a temporal muscle flap in ten cases, Mustardé flap in three cases, latissimus dorsi myocutaneous free flap in one case, and a jugal V-Y flap in one case. The mean follow-up was 23 months with good healing without radiotherapy tissue alteration. Four patients had a recurrence and one patient died from metastases. DISCUSSION: The goals of reconstruction are functional and esthetic. Given the initial tumoral extension, we choose to use a regional or microsurgical flap for functional reconstruction. The flap provides a good cutaneous coverage, rapid healing, closure of orbital nasal and sinus communications, or of orbital and cranial communications. It is not damaged by radiotherapy.