Blood-aqueous barrier breakdown associated with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

We compared the integrity of the blood-aqueous barrier (BAB) between normal eyes and those with first-time rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) using the technique of anterior segment fluorophotometry. We found significantly greater anterior segment fluorescence in eyes with retinal detachment (p = less than .001) thereby demonstrating quantitatively for the first time that there is significant damage to the BAB associated with RRD. We have also shown that the BAB permeability returns to normal within two months of successful reattachment of the retina. The origin of this transient increase in BAB permeability is unknown but its severity and duration may well be of significance in the pathogenesis of complications associated with RRD such as uveitis, rubeosis and proliferative vitreoretinopathy.