SUBRETINAL PROLIFERATION IN RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL-DETACHMENT

We reviewed the clinical files of 314 patients (341 eyes) affected by rhegmatogenous retinal detachment who were operated on before any fail ed attempt to reattach the retina. The study was conducted to elucidat e the clinical and prognostic value of subretinal proliferation. Clini cal evidence of subretinal proliferation visible at preoperative exami nation was more frequent in eyes with retinal detachments related to r etinogenic retinal breaks (oral dialyses, atrophic holes in lattice) ( 32.35 %) as compared to retinal detachments associated with horse-shoe tears (4.60 %) (P < 0.001). The mean duration of retinal detachments with subretinal proliferation was 12 months (range : 3 months to 5 yea rs). Postoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy occurred in 2.27 % (1/44 eves) of retinal detachments with subretinal proliferation compa red with 6.73 % (20/297 eyes) of retinal detachments without subretina l proliferation. Permanent retinal reattachment was achieved in all ey es with subretinal proliferation. However postoperative visual acuity of 20/40 or better was obtained in only 34 % (15/44 eyes) of eyes with subretinal proliferation compared with 58 % (160/275 eyes) of retinal detachments without subretinal proliferation (P < 0.01).