Abstract
Purpose of review Autoenucleation has long been described in the literature, dating back as far as the 4th century AD. Within a 3-month period, two patients were admitted to our hospital after autoenucleation. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed to identify trends in, risk factors for, and potential life-threatening complications of autoenucleation. Recent findings Two adult Caucasian men were transferred from outside hospitals after autoenucleation. One patient's urine tested positive for methamphetamines, and the second patient had a history of schizophrenia. In both cases, imaging of the head and orbits was performed to rule out secondary sequelae after self-enucleation. Patient one did not have any intracranial abnormalities. Patient 2 had a head computed tomography scan that showed a left internal carotid artery dissection, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and basal ganglia/thalamic stroke. Review of the literature revealed that almost all cases were associated with underlying mental illness and/or a history of drug abuse. Summary Autoenucleation occurs more frequently in patients with psychiatric illness or drug abuse. It can be a devastating injury, not only locally, but neurologically. Ophthalmologists should be aware of the potentially life-threatening consequences of autoenucleation.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 429-439 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Current opinion in ophthalmology |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 1 2015 |
Keywords
- Autoenucleation
- Mental illness
- Oedipism
- Self-enucleation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ophthalmology