Vitrectomy Due to Vitreous Hemorrhage and Tractional Retinal Detachment Secondary to Eales' Disease

To investigate visual and anatomical outcomes of vitreoretinal surgeries in patients with Eales' disease.

In this retrospective study, 22 eyes of 21 patients with vitreous hemorrhage (VH) or tractional retinal detachment (TRD) secondary to Eales' disease who underwent vitreoretinal surgery between January 1997 and December 2015 and had at least 1 year of follow-up were included.

The mean best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was significantly higher at final visit (0.6±0.9 logMAR) than the preoperative values (1.8±1.1 logMAR) (p<0.001). After surgery, BCVA was stable in 4 eyes (18.2%), increased in 16 eyes (72.7%), and decreased in 2 eyes (9.1%). Although the mean BCVA was better in the VH group (0.3±0.34 logMAR) than the TRD group (0.9±1.1 logMAR), the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.1). Multivariable linear regression analyses revealed that final BCVA was negatively associated with preoperative or postoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy grade C (PVR-C), preoperative retinal detachment involving the macula, postoperative neovascular glaucoma, and long preoperative duration of disease, and positively associated with preoperative BCVA. Final BCVA was not associated with preoperative retinal and disc neovascularization, rubeosis iridis, total posterior hyaloid detachment, preoperative retinal laser photocoagulation, indication of surgery, diameter of sclerotomy (20 or 23 gauge), preoperative lens status, preoperative or postoperative epimacular membrane, peroperative iatrogenic retinal breaks, postoperative hypotony, cystoid macular edema, and new or recurrent retinal detachment. The primary anatomic success rate was 81.8% and the final anatomic success rate was 90.9%.

In Eales' disease, good visual results can be obtained with vitreoretinal surgery if the detachment area does not involve the macula and PVR-C does not develop pre- or postoperatively.