[Simultaneous bilateral rhegmatogenous retinal detachment]

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) has a strong bilateral tendency. It results from a chronic degenerative process, wherein both eyes are involved. However, simultaneous RD of both eyes is a rare finding. In a retrospective study we investigated the clinical course as well as risk factors in this kind of manifestation.

From 1989 to 1994, 931 patients underwent operation because of RD in our ophthalmologic department. Eleven of these patients presented a simultaneous bilateral RD exceeding one hour. We excluded patients with consecutive retinal detachments and retinal detachments deriving from intraocular surgery, trauma, tractive hole formation or heredodegeneration.

Seven out of 11 patients with simultaneous bilateral retinal detachment were under 35 years of age. All of these presented multiple round holes (3-19). Horse-shoe tears were causative in 6 eyes; these patients all were over 50 years of age. There was a preponderance of males (73%) in our study. Nine patients were myopic with diopters ranging from -0.5 to -11.25. Retinal reattachment by a single intervention was achieved in 21 eyes, whereas 3 eyes had to undergo a second operation for a redetachment.

Simultaneous bilateral RD, the most severe type of a retinal resp. vitreoretinal degenerative process, occurs predominantly in patients under the age of 35 with multiple bilateral round holes. We therefore conclude that multiple round holes in this group of patients are not to be regarded as a benign form of degeneration.