Posterior traction retinal detachment in highly myopic eyes: clinical features and surgical outcome as evaluated by optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To investigate the correlations between the clinical characteristics of macular detachment without holes or posterior breaks and functional outcomes as evaluated by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with highly myopic eyes after pars plana vitrectomy.

METHODS

This retrospective study describes the preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, and OCT and FAG images of seven highly myopic eyes (range: -10 to -24 diopters [D]) with a symptomatic decrease in visual acuity that were surgically treated by means of pars plana vitrectomy.

RESULTS

The intraoperative observations confirmed the OCT findings. The macula was reattached after surgery in 85.7% of cases; visual acuity improved in six eyes and worsened in one. The only postoperative complication recorded was nuclear sclerosis (60% of the cases).

CONCLUSIONS

OCT should be considered mandatory in the diagnosis and follow-up of posterior traction retinal detachment without a macular hole or posterior break in highly myopic eyes. A posteriorly detached retina can be reattached surgically, but visual improvement may be limited by the presence of other chorioretinal myopic lesions and persistent cystoid macular changes.