Surgical management of the idiopathic uveal effusion syndrome.

Twenty-three eyes of 20 patients with idiopathic ciliochoroidal effusion underwent quadrantic partial-thickness sclerectomies without decompression of the vortex veins. The mean postoperative follow-up interval was 41 months (range, 6-86 months). Resolution of subretinal and/or supraciliochoroidal fluid occurred within 6 months in 19 eyes (83%) after one procedure and in 22 eyes (96%) after one or two procedures. The mean interval to reattachment for the 19 successfully treated eyes with nonrhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) was 2.4 months compared with an average preoperative detachment duration of 18.5 months (P = 0.0005). Recurrences were seen in 23% of eyes; all resolved spontaneously or with a single reoperation. Final visual acuity was improved by two or more lines in 13 eyes (56%), stable in 8 (35%), and worse in 2 (9%). The efficacy of this surgical technique supports the hypothesis that an abnormality of transscleral protein transport plays a primary pathophysiologic role in this disorder.