title: Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment due to paravascular linear retinal breaks over patchy chorioretinal atrophy in pathologic myopia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To characterize posterior paravascular linear retinal breaks over areas of patchy chorioretinal atrophy as a cause of retinal detachment among patients with pathologic myopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective case series, we evaluated 10 pathologically myopic eyes having rhegmatogenous retinal detachment associated with posterior paravascular linear retinal breaks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten eyes with posterior paravascular linear retinal breaks and retinal detachment were identified from January 1, 2008, to July 31, 2009. The retinal breaks were most frequently found along the inferotemporal vascular arcade, followed by the superotemporal arcade. The length of the breaks ranged from 0.25 to 1 disc diameter, and their distance from the optic disc ranged from 1 to 5 disc diameters. These paravascular linear retinal breaks have distinct clinical characteristics, including a strong propensity to occur over areas of patchy chorioretinal atrophy, a linear shape that is oriented parallel to the adjacent retinal vessels, and a tendency to result in progressive retinal detachment. Vitrectomy with gas tamponade was performed in all cases, and retinal reattachment was achieved in 9 cases by a single operation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paravascular linear retinal breaks over areas of patchy chorioretinal atrophy represent a distinct clinical entity that can result in a special category of retinal detachment among patients with pathologic myopia. These breaks are apt to elude detection before surgery, and a careful search along the posterior vascular arcades during vitrectomy may help to detect these abnormalities. Pars plana vitrectomy with photocoagulation and intraocular tamponade may lead to a resolution of such rhegmatogenous retinal detachments.
authors.affiliation: Eye and Ears, Nose, and Throat Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Keyan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Daniel D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Esmaili
authors.forename: Gezhi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003317:Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D047728:Myopia, Degenerative / Q000150:complications*; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy
chemical_list: D005466:Fluorocarbons; C042852:perflutren