Treatment of pars planitis with cryotherapy.
Cryotherapy was performed on 28 eyes exhibiting massive exudates (snowbank) over the pars plana and the ora serrata. Twenty-six patients ranging in age from 8 to 52 years were treated and then followed up for a median of 34 months. Eleven eyes needed repeat cryotherapy. After cryotherapy, retinal vasculitis and vitreous opacities decreased in most eyes. Although only 3 of 5 eyes with a snowbank greater than 90 degrees and treated over 1 year from the onset achieved visual acuity of 20/25 or better, all 12 eyes with a snowbank smaller than 60 degrees and treated within 3 months after the onset maintained a visual acuity of 20/25 or better. The prognosis was not different from the 20 eyes that received systemic steroid treatment and the 8 eyes that received no systemic steroids. We recommend cryotherapy as the primary treatment for pars planitis with a snowbank.
Okinami
S
S
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
Sunakawa
M
M
Arai
I
I
Iwaki
M
M
Nihira
M
M
Ogino
N
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003452:Cryosurgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy; D015868:Pars Planitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012086:Reoperation; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones