Proptosis is when the muscles of the eyeball are damaged and it is pushed forward in front of the eyelids. This can occur due to trauma, tumors behind the eye, abscesses, or dental disease. Proptosis can be seen in a number of mammal species but is most commonly seen in hedgehogs.
When an eye is proptosed the eye protrudes more than normal and cannot blink because the eyelids are trapped behind the globe. Sometimes the muscles that move the eye are visible, especially if they have been significantly torn.
Your veterinarian will be able to diagnose this condition by just doing a physical examination. If the eye appears salvageable they may recommend a fluorescein staining the cornea to look for scratches or ulcers on the eye surface. Your veterinarian may also recommend imaging with radiographs or ocular ultrasound if an abscess or tumor is suspected to be the cause.
In patients where this condition is not caused by a tumor, the eye is still visual, and extensive damage has not occurred to the muscles, nerves, and blood vessels of the eye, the eye can be surgically replaced back into the orbit under anesthesia. Following replacement, a tarsorrhaphy (suturing the eyelid closed) is performed to protect the eye while it heals. Eyes that are too damaged should be enucleated (surgical removal of the eye and tear glands). Your veterinarian will prescribe appropriate antibiotics and pain medications following the procedure.
Eyes that have only been proposed for 3 hours or less carry a better prognosis to be saved. If blood is noted within the eyeball, the eye is blind, or there is extensive damage prognosis for saving the eye is guarded and enucleation should be considered. It should be Overall prognosis for the patient is good unless this condition is being caused by an aggressive tumor.
We recommend a recheck and suture removal in 2 weeks.
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