Bilateral retinal detachment in Werner syndrome

To report the development of bilateral retinal detachment in a patient with Werner syndrome.

Retrospective chart review. A 44-year-old woman diagnosed with Werner syndrome developed bilateral retinal detachment. The fundus in both eyes showed patchy chorioretinal atrophy similar to that seen in high myopia, with the retinal detachment limited to the posterior pole. Two weeks after performing vitrectomy in the right eye, vitrectomy was performed in the left eye.

After the surgeries, both retinas were reattached. During the surgeries, we observed an excessively liquefied vitreous and a posterior hyaloid membrane that was tightly attached to the retina. The retinal break was located along the superotemporal arcade and over an area of the patchy chorioretinal atrophy in both eyes. The chorioretinal atrophy and vitreous liquefaction appeared to be excessive for the patient's age and axial lengths (right: 26.66 mm, left: 27.04 mm).

Vitreoretinal changes found in this case might have been partially because of the premature aging associated with Werner syndrome.