Vitrectomy and silicone oil injection in pediatric patients

To determine the functional and anatomic results of vitrectomy with silicone oil injection in complicated retinal detachments in children.

A retrospective review of all records of children aged 15 years or younger who underwent vitrectomy with silicone oil injection between 1985 and 1994 in the Goldschleger eye institute.

Twenty-eight eyes of 27 patients were included in the series, with a mean follow-up time of 24 months. The underlying pathologies included penetrating injury (11 eyes), high myopia (8 eyes), choroidal coloboma (2 eyes), retinopathy of prematurity (2 eyes), and various other pathologies (5 eyes). At the end of the follow-up, complete or partial anatomic success was obtained in 9 eyes (32%) and 3 eyes (10%), respectively. The final visual acuity was 20/400 or better in 5 eyes (18%) and hand motions or less in 19 eyes (68%). The visual acuity could not be determined in 3 eyes due to the age of the patients, and in 1 eye due to mental retardation. The worst results occurred in the perforating injury group. The usual complications associated with silicone oil occurred frequently.

Satisfactory anatomic and functional results were obtained in a minority of the eyes included in our series. The grave prognosis was determined by the devastating nature of the external injury in the trauma cases and the severe vitreoretinal pathology in the other eyes.