Vitrectomy for vitreous opacities and macular pucker in Gaucher disease.

PURPOSE: To report significant surgical results in an uncommon ophthalmologic complication of a rare disease.

METHODS

Interventional case report.

RESULTS

A 16-year-old girl with type III Gaucher disease experienced visual loss in both eyes. Ophthalmologic examination revealed dense whitish vitreous opacities and macular pucker OU. Visual acuity (VA) OD was 20/63 and OS was 20/25. She underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy with removal of the vitreous core, posterior vitreous cortex, and indocyanine green?stained internal limiting membrane OD. Visual acuity improved, reaching 20/25 1 year after surgery despite the appearance of small preretinal flecks. Visual acuity OS decreased some time later and vitrectomy was performed when VA OS was 20/100. Three years after surgery, BCVA was 20/25 OD and 20/20 OS 1 year after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

We describe a young patient with Gaucher disease with severe bilateral vitreous opacities and macular pucker. After surgery, vitreous opacities partially and progressively recurred, but the overall favorable outcome strongly supports a surgical approach in cases of this kind.