Phthisis bulbi is a shrunken, non-functional

eye An eye is a sensory organ that allows an organism to perceive visual information. It detects light and converts it into electro-chemical impulses in neurons (neurones). It is part of an organism's visual system. In higher organisms, the ey ...

. It may result from severe

eye disease This is a partial list of human eye diseases and disorders. The World Health Organization (WHO) publishes a classification of known diseases and injuries, the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, or ...

inflammation Inflammation (from ) is part of the biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The five cardinal signs are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function (Latin ''calor'', '' ...

injury Injury is physiological damage to the living tissue of any organism, whether in humans, in other animals, or in plants. Injuries can be caused in many ways, including mechanically with penetration by sharp objects such as teeth or with ...

, or it may represent a complication of

eye surgery Eye surgery, also known as ophthalmic surgery or ocular surgery, is surgery performed on the eye or its adnexa. Eye surgery is part of ophthalmology and is performed by an ophthalmologist or eye surgeon. The eye is a fragile organ, and require ...

. Treatment options include insertion of a

prosthesis In medicine, a prosthesis (: prostheses; from ), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (Congenital, congenital disord ...

, which may be preceded by

enucleation of the eye Enucleation is the removal of the eye that leaves the eye muscles and remaining orbital contents intact. This type of ocular surgery is indicated for a number of ocular tumors, in eyes that have sustained severe trauma, and in eyes that are oth ...

Symptoms

The affected eye is shrunken, and has little to no vision. The intraocular pressure in the affected eye is very low or nonexistent. The layers in the eye may be fused together, thickened, or

edematous Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may inclu ...

. The eyelids may be glued shut. The eye may be soft when palpated. Under a microscope there may be deposits of calcium or bone, and the lens is often affected by

cataract A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens (anatomy), lens of the eye that leads to a visual impairment, decrease in vision of the eye. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colours, blurry or ...

Causes

It can be caused by injury, including burns to the eye, or long-term eye disease or inflammation. End-stage glaucoma can cause it. It can often complicate eye surgery. Other common causes include cancer, retinal detachment, vascular lesions, infection, and inflammation.

Treatment

Treatment for the affected eye is often futile. Usually, treatment is to end the pain in the affected eye and for cosmetic purposes, not to restore vision. It can be removed, a procedure called enucleation of the eye. Sometimes, though, it is possible to transplant only parts of the eye, and some vision can be restored.

References

External links

Disorders of vitreous body and globe {{nervoussystem-disease-stub