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. The eyelids may be glued shut. The eye may be soft when palpated.[6] Under a microscope there may be deposits of calcium or bone, and the lens is often affected by cataracts.[7]
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.[6] Other common causes include cancer, retinal detachment, vascular lesions, infection, and inflammation.[7]
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.[7] 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.[6]
^Hui JI (September 2010). "Outcomes of orbital implants after evisceration and enucleation in patients with endophthalmitis". Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 21 (5): 375–9. doi:10.1097/ICU.0b013e32833b7a56. PMID20489621.
^Apple DJ, Jones GR, Reidy JJ, Loftfield K (1985). "Ocular perforation and phthisis bulbi secondary to strabismus surgery". J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 22 (5): 184–7. PMID4045647.
^Cote RE, Haddad SE (1990). "Fitting a prosthesis over phthisis bulbi or discolored blind eyes". Adv Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg. 8: 136–45. PMID2248703.
^ abcDohlman CH, D'Amico DJ (January 1999). "Can an eye in phthisis be rehabilitated? A case of improved vision with 1-year follow-up". Arch Ophthalmol. 117 (1): 123–4. doi:10.1001/archopht.117.1.123. PMID9930175.