Retinal detachment in the mentally retarded.
OBJECTIVE
To report the clinical features and surgical outcomes of retinal detachment in mentally retarded patients.


METHODS
Retrospective review of records of mentally retarded patients who had retinal reattachment surgery at the authors' institutions between February 1994 and February 2000. There were 8 patients with 13 surgically treated eyes. Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from the patients' medical records.


RESULTS
The retina of 12/13 (92%) eyes remained reattached after a follow-up ranging from 9 to 78 months. In 6 eyes of the 4 patients whose visual acuity (VA) could be determined, VA improved in 5 eyes of 3 patients. In the remaining 4 patients whose VA could not be determined, improved behavioral patterns suggesting a successful surgical outcome were observed in 3 patients with bilateral retinal detachment, although in one of these patients only unilateral retinal reattachment was achieved. The findings in the eyes in this study agree with the findings in reports on patients with traumatic retinal detachment.


CONCLUSIONS
The retinal reattachment rate is fair in the mentally retarded compared with the rate in other segments of the population. Ophthalmological examinations should be provided regularly for mentally retarded persons to keep open the possibility for early sight-improving surgery.
Kuwabara
Rika
R
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.
Minamoto
Atsushi
A
Yamane
Ken
K
Kajikawa
Tetsu
T
Mizote
Hideaki
H
Mishima
Hiromu K
HK
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003452:Cryosurgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012591:Scleral Buckling; D012827:Silicone Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014821:Vitrectomy
D012827:Silicone Oils; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride