[Frequency of posterior vitreous detachment as determined intraoperatively in patients with an idiopathic epiretinal membrane].
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of a posterior vitreous detachment in patients with an idiopathic epiretinal membrane is often exaggerated in the literature. This may make the surgeon become overconfident during vitrectomy.


METHODS
34 patients with an idiopathic epiretinal membrane (mean age 72.9 years) were vitrectomised. The membrane and with it the remaining vitreous were stained with Membrane Blue.


RESULTS
The preoperative visual acuity was -0.6 +/- 0.176 logMar units. Visual acuity increased postoperatively to -0.3 +/- 0.252 logMar units after 372.6 days. A posterior vitreous detachment was found in 17 patients (50 %), whereas there was none in the remaining 50 %. There was no correlation between age and prevalence of vitreous detachment.


CONCLUSIONS
The increase in visual acuity was very encouraging. In contrast to reports in the older literature one cannot expect to find a posterior vitreous detachment in patients with an idiopathic epiretinal membrane. This can be checked intraoperatively very easily with Membrane Blue. Such a check becomes more urgent as the posterior vitreous detachment cannot be achieved with 23-G vitrectomy as easily as with 20-G vitrectomy.
Augenzentrum Wangen, Wangen im Allgäu. peter.janknecht@t-online.de
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P
Janknecht
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014821:Vitrectomy; D020255:Vitreous Detachment / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*