TRAUMA-INDUCED RETINAL-DETACHMENT ASSOCIATED WITH GIANT RETINAL TEARS

Giant retinal tears may arise spontaneously, but approximately 25% occ ur in association with ocular trauma. The clinical findings and result s of surgical management in 38 cases of traumatic giant retinal tear s een at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London during a 10-year period are p resented. Patients were young (mean age = 29 years) and mostly men (n = 36; 95%). Trauma was penetrating in 14 eyes (37%) and nonpenetrating in 24 (63%). Initial surgical management consisted of pars plana vitr ectomy and fluid-silicone oil exchange in the majority of cases. Lense ctomy was performed for opacity or dislocation in 23 (61%) eyes. Reatt achment was achieved in 34 (89%) eyes 12 months after surgery. Most of the surgical failures occurred in eyes with penetrating trauma. Raise d intraocular pressure was an associated problem that required treatme nt in 12 (32%) eyes. Visual acuity at final follow-up examination rang ed from 6/6 to no perception of light (NPL; mean = 6/36). These result s compare favorably with published figures for the treatment of sponta neous giant retinal tears.