Subretinal fluid bleb after successful scleral buckling and cryotherapy for retinal detachment.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the characteristics of subretinal fluid (SRF) blebs after successful scleral buckling with cryotherapy as a treatment for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) and to investigate their possible origin.


METHODS
Retrospective case series.


METHODS
The incidence of SRF bleb and the temporary aspects associated with the appearance and disappearance of the lesion were analyzed. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was used to confirm SRF and indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) was carried out to evaluate choroidal circulation in some of the cases.


RESULTS
SRF bleb was observed in 11 (9.3%) of 118 cases with the history of successful scleral buckling and cryotherapy. The lesions were detected 8.7 +/- 5.5 (mean +/- standard deviation [SD]) weeks after complete retinal reattachment, and the mean +/- SD period required for the disappearance of the lesion was 4.7 +/- 3.4 months. SRFs were verified by OCT in five cases of macular involvement. ICGA revealed choroidal vascular congestion and hyperpermeability near the lesion in three of four cases, and these vascular abnormalities remained unchanged after the removal of the scleral explant.


CONCLUSIONS
SRF bleb after successful RD surgery disappears spontaneously within one year. The origin of the lesion may be associated with choroidal vascular changes resulting from cryotherapy.
Department of Ophthalmology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. swkang@skku.edu
Se Woong
SW
Kang
Jae Hui
JH
Kim
Woo Jae
WJ
Shin
Jong In
JI
Kim
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001826:Body Fluids; D002829:Choroid / Q000098:blood supply; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D005122:Exudates and Transudates; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012591:Scleral Buckling / Q000379:methods*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
D007208:Indocyanine Green