Optical coherence tomography predicts visual outcome in macula-involving rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Visual recovery after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair depends upon various anatomical factors. We investigated spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) abnormalities, pre- and postoperatively, in patients with nontraumatic RRD and correlated these findings with visual outcome.

The medical records of all patients presenting to Weill Cornell Medical College with nontraumatic macula-involving RRD from August 2010 to September 2011 were retrospectively reviewed in this single-center, consecutive case series. All patients underwent pre- and postoperative visual acuity (VA) testing, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and dilated fundus examination. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography was obtained preoperatively in twelve patients and postoperatively in ten patients.

Twelve patients (12 eyes) were included in the final analysis. Preoperative optical coherence tomography revealed that the inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction was disrupted in 10/12 eyes (83%), the external limiting membrane (ELM) was disrupted in 9/12 (75%) eyes, cystoid macular edema (CME) was present in 10/12 (83%) eyes, an epiretinal membrane (ERM) was present in 2/12 eyes (17%) and outer retinal corrugation was present in 7/12 (58%) eyes. In postoperative imaging of 10 eyes, the IS/OS junction was disrupted in 4/10 (40%), the ELM was disrupted in 3/10 (30%) eyes, CME was present in 2/10 (20%), and an ERM in 1/10 (10%). All retinas were attached postoperatively. Outer retinal corrugation was the most predictive of worse preoperative (P = 0.0016) and 1-month postoperative visual acuity (P = 0.05).

Preoperative SD-OCT demonstrating outer retinal corrugation in macula involving RRD predicts poor visual acuity outcome in nontraumatic RRD. Such findings may have implications for the urgency for these eyes to undergo surgical repair.