BACILLARY LAYER DETACHMENT AND ASSOCIATED ABNORMALITIES IN RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Diseases
• Optical Coherence Tomography

Background:

• Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) can lead to complex macular abnormalities.
• Understanding foveal involvement is crucial for predicting visual outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe bacillary layer detachment (BLD) in RRD.
• To assess BLD's impact on photoreceptor recovery and macular hole formation.
• To utilize optical coherence tomography (OCT) for detailed analysis.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of 93 patients with fovea-off RRD.
• Preoperative OCT imaging of the fovea was analyzed.
• Patients were followed for photoreceptor recovery and macular hole development.

Main Results:

• 23.7% of patients exhibited BLD and associated abnormalities.
• Foveal BLD was present in 86.4% of affected eyes.
• BLD was associated with inner lamellar holes and progression to full-thickness macular holes.
• Ellipsoid zone discontinuity was common postoperatively and persisted in many patients.

Conclusions:

• BLD is a newly described finding in RRD.
• BLD may result from outer retinal hydration and Müller cell cone support.
• BLD might be a key factor in the pathophysiology of full-thickness macular hole formation in RRD.