[Risk factors for retinal detachment in Togo]

Retinal detachment poses management problems in developing countries due to the shortage of technical equipment. Prevention passes through knowledge and elimination of risk factors. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for retinal detachment in people living in Togo.

We conducted a retrospective and descriptive study in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Chu-Campus and in an ophthalmology office in Lomé from 2 January 2011 to 31 December 2015. The medical records of patients with retinal detachment were included in the study. The diagnosis of retinal detachment was confirmed based on funduscopic exam or ocular ultrasound.

in total, 116 eyes of 100 patients had retinal detachment of whom 40 in the RE, 44 in the LE and 16 bilaterally. The average age of patients was 46.65 ± 16.46 years [07 years; 87 years], with a male predominance and with a sex-ratio = 0.32 (W/M). Diabetic patients accounted for 17% and patients with sickle cell disease accounted for 16%. Myopic patients accounted for 5%, pseudophakic patients accounted for 17.2% and aphakic patients accounted for 3.4%. Four patients had retinal tear (14.28% of rhegmatogenous detachment) including 2 superotemporal tears, 1 inferior nasal tear and 1 inferior temporala tear. 35 eyes (52.2%) had total retinal detachment while 24 eyes (35.8%) had partial retinal detachment. Twenty eyes had vitreoretinal proliferations, 5 eyes had itreous hemorrhage and 6 eyes had hyalite. Diabetes and sickle cell disease were the risk factors for tractional RD (p=0.006 and p=0.0003) while cataract surgery was the risk factor for rhegmatogenous RD (p=0.0097).

Diabetes, sickle cell anemia and eye surgery were the major risk factors for RD. A better management of these pathologies and ophthalmologist's mastery of cataract surgery may prevent retinal detachment.