Abstract
Purpose: :
Investigating changes of aqueous flare in eyes with retinal detachment.
Methods: :
We examined 142 eyes with retinal detachment with the laser flare-cell meter (FC-500 LFCM, version 1.0, Kowa Company Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) and compared the results 122 healthy eyes. LFCM was used to quantitatively evaluate aqueous flare. From each eye five measurements were taken and averaged. The results of flare values were expressed as photon counts/ms (pc/ms). Results were given as mean±SD, median and range.
Results: :
Overall flare in patients with retinal detachment was significantly increased compared to the control group (p=0.001). Flare values in the retinal detachment group were 18.50±28.00 (10.04, 0.04-178.34) and 6.21±5.97 (4.62, 0.06-46.78) in the control group.We found 10 eyes in 10 patients having retinal redetachment due to Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy (PVR). This equals a PVR rate of 7 %. Initial flare values at the point of first retinal detachment in eyes with PVR were significantly higher than in the group of patients without PVR (p=0.001). (27.76±18.56, 22.98, 5.9-58.45)Flare values in patients with detached retina also suffering from detached macula were significantly increased (p=0.025) (24.06±34.90, 10.08, 2.64-178.34) compared to flare values of patients with attached macula and retinal detachment. (15.39±25.46, 7.6, 2.26-171.1) Flare values in eyes of patients and controls being less than 60 years were significantly lower (p=0.002) when comparing to eyes of patients and controls of 60 years and older. Flare values of the control group in eyes with cataract were significantly lower (5.88±6.89, 4.14, 0.06-46.78) than flare values in pseudophakic eyes of the control group (p=0.002) (6.72±3.26, 5.94, 2.52-16.66).
Conclusions: :
The presented results show that laser flare values correlate with the occurrence of macular detachment, age, pseudophakia, and with the development of PVR. The results of our study clearly demonstrate a measurable breakdown of the blood-ocular barriers in eyes with retinal detachment and macular detachment due to significantly higher flare values in eyes with macular detachment.Eyes developing PVR show significantly elevated flare values at the point of the first retinal detachment. This indicates a more extensive alteration of the blood-ocular barriers comparing to eyes without PVR. The LFCM is a useful non-invasive tool to quantify changes of the ocular barrier functions and therefore for prediction of PVR or at least for early detection of PVR.
Keywords: retinal detachment • proliferative vitreoretinopathy • retina