Choroidal detachment after an uneventful intravitreal injection.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this report was to describe a case of choroidal detachment after an uneventful intravitreal injection using a 30-gauge needle.

METHODS

An 88-year-old patient with acute onset of neovascular age-related macular degeneration developed a choroidal detachment after an uneventful intravitreal injection in the infero-temporal aspect of the fundus.

RESULTS

The patient described no symptoms related to the chorioretinal detachment. Additional intravitreal injections were required to treat an active subfoveal choroidal neovascularization. These injections were placed at the contralateral side in the supero-nasal quadrant. She was closely watched on a 2-week follow-up schedule. The choroidal detachment remained asymptomatic for the patient and resolved spontaneously, and the best corrected visual acuity improved from 0.2 to 0.63 during a 6-month follow-up. A mild hyperpigmentation remained at this location.

CONCLUSION

Asymptomatic choroidal detachments may occur after intravitreal injection. Although treatment was not needed, additional injections should be avoided in the same quadrant until the detachment has resolved.