Cw. Yung et al., EFFICACY OF LATERAL CANTHOTOMY AND CANTHOLYSIS IN ORBITAL HEMORRHAGE, Ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery, 10(2), 1994, pp. 137-141
Emergent orbital decompression in tense orbital hemorrhage with compro
mised ophthalmic blood flow may be achieved with lateral canthotomy, d
efined as incision of the lateral canthal tendon, and cantholysis, def
ined as canthotomy combined with disinsertion of at least the inferior
crus of the lateral canthal tendon. This study was performed to deter
mine which procedure, canthotomy, canthal tendon disinsertion, or cant
holysis, produced the largest reduction in intraocular pressure after
simulated orbital hemorrhage in 10 closed ruminant orbits with retrobu
lbar injections of normal saline. Intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction
s were measured after canthotomy in five orbits, after lateral canthal
tendon disinsertion in five orbits, and after completion of cantholys
is in all 10 orbits. Canthotomy produced a mean IOP reduction of 14.2
mm Hg. Canthal tendon disinsertion (CTD) produced a mean IOP reduction
of 19.2 mm Hg. Cantholysis produced a mean IOP reduction of 30.4 mm H
g, a significantly (p < 0.05) greater reduction in IOP than that produ
ced by canthotomy or canthal tendon disinsertion alone. Cantholysis in
acute orbital hemorrhage may produce significantly greater reduction
in IOP, and thus in intraorbital pressure, and allow better perfusion
of orbital tissues than either lateral canthotomy or CTD.