[Statistical study of aqueous flare in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment]

Inflammation of the anterior chamber in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was studied in 338 eyes with a laser flare cell meter. The mean flare value, 32.84 +/- 81.39 pc/msec, was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) than the 5.01 +/- 2.05 pc/msec of the control group of 133 normal eyes. Clinical findings of retinal detachment were grouped into 11 factors and each factor was divided into 34 details. The following details were proven by t-test to cause significant elevation of the flare value: (1) duration of more than 3 months, (2) hypotony of less than 9 mmHg, (3) aphakia, (4) retinal breaks in the ora area or the posterior area, (5) extension of retinal detachment with more than 2 quadrants, and (6) choroidal detachment. The correlation coefficients of the 6 clinical factors showed significant elevation of flare value in the following order: (1) presence or absence of choroidal detachment (0.396), (2) extension of retinal detachment (0.375), (3) intraocular pressure (-0.28), (4) duration of retinal detachment (0.18), (5) location of the break (0.15), and (6) presence or absence of the lens (0.134).