[Inferior rhegmatogenous retinal detachments: clinical and therapeutic characteristics]

To determine the epidemiological and clinical factors involved in inferior rhegmatogenous retinal detachments and to propose a therapeutic plan.

A retrospective case note review of 173 patients (175 eyes), 11-89 years old, who had been operated on for inferior retinal detachment over a 13-year period between 1990 and 2003.

The retinal reattachment rate after initial surgery was 79.5%, the final anatomical success rate was 81.5%. Scleral buckling surgery was used for the primary repair of rhegmatogenous retinal detachments in 111 cases and it was successful in 81 cases. Fifty-eight patients underwent vitrectomy with internal silicone oil tamponade. Anatomical success was obtained in 55 cases (94.8%) without recurrence. Endocular surgery allowed surgeons to find missed causal tear in 76% of cases. Mixed surgery was undertaken in four cases, with three good results. Visual acuity improved in 81% of cases, remained unchanged in 15% of cases, and deteriorated in 4% of cases. The mean final visual acuity ranged from 2.5 to 3/10, while it was only 1/20 before surgery. The mean improvement in visual acuity was 2.5 lines. The mean follow-up in our study was 13+/-11 months.

Inferior retinal detachment usually occurred in young myopic or old pseudophakic subjects. These patients are characterized by the absence of tears. Vitrectomy in primary repair with inferior retinal detachment improves their anatomical and functional prognosis.