Epiretinal proliferation after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Surgery
• Optical Coherence Tomography

Background:

• Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair is a common ophthalmic surgical procedure.
• Postoperative complications can affect visual outcomes and require further management.
• Epiretinal proliferation (ERP) is a potential complication following retinal surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize epiretinal proliferation (ERP) after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) surgery.
• To determine the incidence of ERP using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
• To identify factors associated with the development of postoperative ERP.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 108 eyes undergoing RRD repair surgery.
• SD-OCT imaging was used to assess for epiretinal proliferation (ERP).
• Clinical and surgical data were reviewed; eyes with other maculopathies were excluded.

Main Results:

• Epiretinal proliferation (ERP) was observed in 9.3% of eyes post-RRD surgery.
• Eyes with ERP had significantly worse initial visual acuity and higher rates of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and chronic macular edema.
• ERP was associated with a higher number of vitreoretinal surgeries and increased use of silicone oil.

Conclusions:

• Epiretinal proliferation (ERP) is a late-onset finding after RRD repair, potentially occurring without macular holes.
• ERP is more prevalent in eyes with complicated RRD courses, including multiple surgeries, PVR, silicone oil tamponade, and chronic macular edema.
• SD-OCT is valuable for identifying ERP in the postoperative setting.