[Genetics and idiopathic retinal detachment]

Study of all patients treated for retinal deteachment at the University Eye Clinic Lausanne from 1960-1971. All secondary detachments as well as 128 purely traumatic, 120 aphakic detachments and juvenile retinoschisis are not included in these statistics. Therefore there remain 802 patients with idiopathic detachments. A family occurrence is recorded in 7,6% of these cases. Bilateral detachment is observed in 25%. If one counts the controlateral degenerescence of the retina, bilaterality ascends to 42%. The disease occurs at an earlier age in cases with a family background. All these factors allow to appreciate the importance of heredity together with even more important peristatic factors. In 24% of cases, high myopia is associated with detachment. In this instance the heredity of detachment identifies itself with the heridity of myopia. This would be due to an autosomal monofactorial gene with variable penetration. Nevertheless in most cases, the detachment occurs independently of myopia. For the few hereditary cases (3,7%) the detachment or its predisposition would be due to a different gene, but also to a monofactorial autosomal dominant gene with variable and lower penetration, reaching even recessivity, acting together with peristatic often preponderant factors. Several pedigrees of high myopia as well as isolated retinal detachment are presented. Statistics beginning in 1960 do not allow any conclusion on Favre' or Wagner's diseases.