Abstract
Purpose :
To determine clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes for fellow eyes of patients with a prior rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) due to a giant retinal tear (GRT)
Methods :
Retrospective, observational analysis of patients evaluated at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute for RRD secondary to GRTs. Patients with one or more years of follow-up were included. Patients with retinal detachments occurring in the setting of trauma were excluded.
Results :
Of 44 patients who underwent retinal detachment repair for a non-traumatic GRT-associated RRD, 39 met inclusion criteria. The majority of patients were men in this cohort (n = 25, 64%). Average age at the time of initial retinal detachment repair was 67 (range 10-81). Mean follow-up time was 7 years (range 1-16 years). Risk factors for retinal detachment included lattice degeneration in 6 patients (15%) and myopia in 8 patients (21%). Eleven fellow eyes (28% of patients) in this cohort were pseudophakic. During follow-up of the fellow eye, 3 patients (8%) received prophylactic laser retinopexy for retinal tears (n=2) and a progressing schisis cavity (n=1). Six patients (15%) were diagnosed with retinal detachments that required surgery in the fellow eye during follow-up. One patient already had a prior history of retinal detachment in the fellow eye at presentation. Visual acuity of the fellow eye at the most recent visit was 20/40 or better in 33 patients (85%) and in just 2 of 6 (33%) patients who developed an RRD in the fellow eye.
Conclusions :
In the current series we identify retinal tears and/or detachments to be relatively common in the fellow eyes of patients with a history of GRT associated RRD during follow-up. Regular dilated fundus exams are warranted for patients with a history of giant retinal tears.
This is a 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.