Macular epiretinal membrane formation and treated retinal breaks.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine the incidence of macular epiretinal membrane formation in eyes treated for retinal breaks after three different modalities of treatment: laser photocoagulation, cryotherapy, or both.


METHODS
We reviewed the charts of 262 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of retinal tears and included 205 patients who had more than six months of follow-up.


RESULTS
One hundred ninety-five patients were treated. One hundred seventy of these patients had retinal breaks in one eye and 25 patients had breaks in both eyes, for a total of 220 treated eyes. Cryopexy was applied in 125 eyes, laser retinopexy in 73 eyes, and both modalities in 22 eyes. Macular epiretinal membranes developed in a total of 26 eyes: 12 in the cryopexy group, ten in the laser-treated group, and four in the dual modality group. No statistically significant difference, at a level of P < or = .01, was seen in the rate of epiretinal membrane formation between the different treatment modalities. No statistically significant difference, at a level of P < or = .01, was seen in the rate of epiretinal membrane formation in the presence or absence of vitreous hemorrhage or in the type of precedent retinal break.


CONCLUSIONS
After treatment of retinal breaks with laser photocoagulation and cryotherapy, no statistically significant difference in the incidence of macular epiretinal membrane formation was demonstrated.
Saran
B R
BR
Retina Service, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
Brucker
A J
AJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003452:Cryosurgery / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D017075:Laser Coagulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity