Silicone oil emulsification of the retinal surface

A 35-year-old patient with cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis secondary to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) underwent pars plana vitrectomy and fluid-gas-silicone exchange for retinal detachment. Three weeks following surgery and additional laser photocoagulation, extensive retinal surface emulsification was noted. It masked the retinal surface and demonstrated shifting in subsequent examinations. This case stresses the importance of careful and close follow-up after pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil injection. Silicone oil emulsification may in some cases require removal of the emulsified fluid or silicone oil exchange, but in others such as our case, shifting of the emulsified silicone oil may allow evaluation of the nonobscured retina.