Orbital volume after enucleation and eye volume in the adult rabbit

Summary

Of 21 mature, fully grown Dutch rabbits, seven were controls separated into two groups in which eye and orbital volumes were determined at 10 and at 18 months of age respectively. In the 14 remaining rabbits, enucleation of one eye was done at 10 months of age. Immediately afterward the eye volume was determined. These animals were killed at 18 months of age at which time the volumes of the remaining eye and of both orbits were determined.

Within the limits of this preliminary experiment the following were noted. The mean eye volume was slightly greater at 18 than at 10 months of age. This was statistically significant. After enucleation of the eye at 10 months of age orbital volume of that side was similar to the opposite side at 18 months of age in the male rabbits. In the female rabbits there was a small significant statistical difference. The conclusions however, are that in the Dutch rabbit there is not a meaningful clinical volumetric difference in either the eye from 10 to 18 months of age or the orbit from 10 to 18 months of age with or without enucleation at 10 months of age.