Purpose: To report 18 cases of unusually large, early conjunctival breakdown occurring with the use of bovine pericardium wrapping material for orbital implants.
Methods: Retrospective case series. The clinical course and histopathologic features of 18 cases of early conjunctival breakdown in patients who had undergone orbital implantation of bovine pericardium-wrapped hydroxyapatite or porous polyethylene are reviewed.
Results: Eighteen patients presented with unusually large (average 13.44 mm) conjunctival defects over bovine pericardium-wrapped implants. The average time from enucleation to exposure was approximately 4 months. Implants had to be removed in 8 of 18 cases. There was clinical and histologic evidence of tissue inflammation and conjunctival melting.
Conclusions: The conjunctival melting phenomenon we report herein is alarming. We have abandoned the use of bovine pericardium as a wrapping material for implants after enucleation because of the unfavorable results.