title: Elevated intraocular pressure secondary to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.
abstract: Elevated intraocular pressure secondary to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was described by Ariah Schwartz in 1972, an entity commonly known as Schwartz's syndrome. Photoreceptor outer segments identified in the aqueous of patients with this syndrome are thought to play a role in the elevation of the intraocular pressure. We present two patients with open angles and elevated intraocular pressure associated with retinal detachment. Retinal reattachment surgery resulted in normalization of the intraocular pressure. Electron microscopic examination of aqueous specimens from our patients demonstrated a predominance of photoreceptor outer segments in varying stages of degeneration. In these specimens, inflammatory cells, fibrin, and pigment granules were rarely observed or were absent. We review the literature regarding the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and pathogenesis of Schwartz's syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Netland
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukai
authors.forename: H I
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Covington
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010786:Photoreceptor Cells / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D012374:Rod Cell Outer Segment / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013577:Syndrome; D014129:Trabecular Meshwork / Q000473:pathology