A 12-Year Retrospective Survey of Management of Patients with Malignant Neoplasms in the Orbital Cavity in a Brazilian Cancer Hospital

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of different types of malignant tumors in the orbital cavity, surgical treatments, and subsequent prosthetic rehabilitation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective sample of 269 charts of patients attending a public reference cancer hospital in Goiania, Goias, Brazil, between 1998 and 2009 was selected. Study variables included demographic data, clinical and histopathological features, and patient rehabilitation. Frequency analysis, chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Patients’ age ranged from 1 to 92 years and 50.2% were female. The most prevalent tumors were basal cell carcinoma (58%), retinoblastoma (17.1%), squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva (7.1%), malignant melanoma (6.7%), and rhabdomyosarcoma (4.5%). Surgical treatment was performed in 250 patients (92.3%), but only 29 patients (10.8%) received ocular prosthetic rehabilitation. Lower age (p<0.001) and enucleation surgery (p<0.001) were significantly associated with prosthetic rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: Results revealed high occurrence of mutilating interventions and low provision of prosthetic care, limited to younger patients who had undergone enucleation surgery. The high unmet demand for rehabilitation emphasizes the need to incorporate appropriate care for ocular and orbital deformities into the Brazilian public health system.