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Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroid graft translocation in the treatment of an RPE tear: preliminary results
K Maaijwee1, A M Joussen, B Kirchhof
1The Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Schiedamse Vest 180, 3011 BH Rotterdam, The Netherlands. kmaaijwee@hotmail.com
Aim:
To investigate whether retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroid translocation would be a suitable treatment for RPE tears, which have a poor prognosis and are encountered more often since the introduction of anti-(vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)) therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Methods:
Prospective interventional case series of six eyes of six patients with AMD with an RPE tear treated with an RPE-choroid translocation. The RPE tear occurred in a vascularised pigment epithelium detachment in four patients and after treatment in the other two. Preoperative and postoperative evaluation included ETDRS visual acuity (VA) and fixation testing. The follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 2 years.
Results:
The mean preoperative VA was 20/160 (range 20/400-20/80). The mean VA at the last examination after surgery was 20/80 (range 1/60-20/50). One of the six patients had a preoperative VA of >/=20/80, and four had a VA of 20/80 or better at their last examination. Foveal fixation on the graft was present in five of the six eyes up to the last examination.
Conclusion:
These preliminary data show that an RPE-choroid translocation may be a treatment option for patients with an RPE tear.
