[Biopsychosocial profile of patients with anophthalmia in the south of Minas Gerais - Brazil].

PURPOSE To evaluate the biopsychosocial profile of patients with anophthalmia, with emphasis on the psychological and functional impact of eye loss and the social reintegration of this population. METHODS Prospective analyses of 84 patients (50 males and 34 females), rehabilitated or in the rehabilitation process with ocular prostheses were interviewed by means of a questionnaire with dimensions involving the etiology of the ocular defect, degree of adaptation to the ocular prosthesis, and impact on professional, family and social activities. RESULT The right eye was affected in 45.2% of the patients, the left eye in 51.2%, and the rest of the patients had bilateral anophthalmia. Difficulty in adapting to monocular vision was reported by 47.6% of the patients. The main causes of anophthalmia in males were eye injuries due to accidents (54%), and, in females, acquired diseases (38.2%). For the total studied population, the eye loss occurred at a mean of 20.5 +/- 18.41 years, and the elapsed time until the first rehabilitation with ocular prosthesis was of 8.6 +/- 13.10 years. Most patients (66.1%) reported satisfaction and good adaptation to the prosthesis. Feelings of sadness, shame and shyness were frequently reported. CONCLUSION Anophtalmic patients often exhibit psychic and/or functional disorders which hinder their social, professional and family readaptation, and this is aggravated by both economic factors and lack of public services that provide rehabilitative treatment. Public information campaigns could also be useful to prevent causes that lead to ocular loss.