[Immunohistochemical differentiation of periretinal membranes]

The etiology of periretinal membranes, a complication of various ocular diseases, trauma, and ocular surgery, is still unknown. In the study reported here, 134 surgically removed periretinal membranes were semiquantitatively analyzed by immunohistochemical and morphological method (antigens S 100, GFAP, leukocyte antigens, factor 8; fibrosis). It was found that the cell population of the membranes varied both morphologically and immunohistochemically according to the disease. However, the RPE cell count did not correlate with the number of retinal tears recorded in the patients' histories.