Secondary paracentral retinal holes following internal limiting membrane removal.
OBJECTIVE
To report on a new postoperative finding after delamination of the internal limiting membrane (ILM) for the treatment of different macular pathologies.


METHODS
Seven patients are described with paracentral retinal holes, all located temporally to the macula, which developed after pars plana vitrectomy and uncomplicated ILM removal for cystoid macular oedema (n = 3), macular pucker (n = 3), and macular hole (n = 1) with the use of indocyanine green (n = 4), trypan blue (n = 1), triamcinolone acetonide (n = 1), or without dye (n = 1).


CONCLUSIONS
The use of dyes has been incriminated in causing iatrogenic damage to the retina. In this series, the new observation of retinal holes in the macular area is thought to be related to the removal of the ILM itself. The authors speculate that ILM delamination may cause a retinal weakening by Müller cell damage; this may be followed by a structural breakdown and, consequently, hole formation.
University Eye Hospital of Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Luebeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23538 Luebeck, Germany. psteven@gmx.de
P
P
Steven
H
H
Laqua
D
D
Wong
H
H
Hoerauf
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D014821:Vitrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects