This 63YO female presented with 20/25 vision and a superotemporal retinal detachment. The posterior edge of the detachment was just outside the macular center. There was diffuse fine microcystic retinal edema within the area of detachment, except for outer retinal hydration folds more posteriorly.
The retina was completely attached 5 days later following successful cryotherapy with pneumatic retinopexy. Early cryotherapy scarring is already visible.
Learning Points:
This detachment could have been repaired with any technique, including vitrectomy, scleral buckling, or pneumatic retinopexy. All techniques yield similar final anatomic success, although the debate continues about the relative merit of one over the other.
See the ___References folder in the Retinal detachment (RD) rhegmatogenous (RRD) folder in the Image Library at www.retinarocks.org for a summary of the key journal articles.
