Abstract
Purpose: :
Subretinal fluid (SRF) often remains at fovea and perifoveal area after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) surgery. We retrospectively examined the correlation with spectral-domain optical choherence tomography (SD-OCT) finding and postoperative visual acuity in cases with foveal SRF after RRD surgery.
Methods: :
All patients were performed scleral buckling (6 eyes) or vitrectomy with gas tamponade (11 eyes). 17 eyes of 17 patients with foveal SRF at one month after surgery were studied at least for three months follow-up period.
Results: :
In SD-OCT examination, SRF located only at fovea in five eyes (29%). 12 eyes (71%) showed SRF at fovea and perifoveal area. In all 17 eyes, SRF was gradually diminished, and completely absorbed in 13 eyes (76%). The mean period until completely SRF absorption was 8.3 months in these 13 eyes. Photoreceptor inner and outer segment (IS/OS) at fovea recovered in 11 eyes (85%), and a partial disruption of IS/OS at fovea was seen in 2 eyes (15%) of these13 eyes. External limited membrane (ELM) was observed in all 17 eyes (100%) at fovea, but was not observed in 6 of 12 eyes (50%) at peripheral fovea. In these 6 eyes, IS/OS was unclear after SRF absorption. Mean postoperative visual acuity in 17 eyes were 0.73 at 1month, 0.88 at 3month and 1.0 at 6month.
Conclusions: :
Although SRF persisted at the fovea for long period after RRD surgery, IS/OS was restored with good visual recovery. In perifoveal area, if ELM was not detected preoperatively, recovery of IS/OS was poor after retinal reattachment.
Keywords: retinal detachment • vitreoretinal surgery • photoreceptors: visual performance