Rapid pre-retinal ossification presenting as a vascularized lesion over an area of chronic retinal detachment

To describe the clinical, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and histopathological findings of a patient who was found to have ossification of a pre-retinal membrane after multiple surgical repairs for retinal detachment.

The patient had comprehensive ophthalmic examinations during seven years of follow-up and underwent surgical removal of her pre-retinal membrane.

A 24-year-old woman with a history of retinal detachment and multiple retina surgeries presented with baseline vision of 20/200 and refractory glaucoma in the left eye (right eye with no light perception due to prior failed retinal detachment repair). OCT showed a thick epiretinal membrane with hypo-reflective intraretinal spaces in the macula, and exam revealed a chronic retinal detachment superotemporally surrounded by laser barricade. She was stable for six years and then experienced vision loss and decreasing eye pressure, concurrent with rapid evolution of pre-retinal fibrosis, leading to a vascularized consolidation in the mid-periphery, for which she underwent vitrectomy and membrane peel. The vascularized lesion over the area of detachment in the superotemporal retina was removed en bloc through the anterior chamber. Pathological findings revealed woven bone formation anterior to the internal limiting membrane, and the tissue was GFAP negative.

Our case adds to the limited knowledge of the chronology, presentation, and surgical management of intraocular ossification, especially of the rarer pre-retinal type. Our patient highlights that development of ossification can happen more quickly than previously thought (year or years rather than decades), can be hidden under vascularized lesions, and is dynamic, with simultaneous release of traction in one area and increased traction in another. Diligent follow-up is indicated even in cases of vitreous membranes from retinal detachment that otherwise appear to have been stable for years.