[Long-term course of indirect traumatic ruptures of the choroid]

Abstract

During the last 10 years, 46 cases of indirect choroidal tears were observed with repeated photographies and fluorescein angiographies. Patients were essentially young men with a mean age of 21.7 years. Choroidal tears were mostly single (61%), localized in the temporal part of the optic disc (63.1%), crescent shaped (77.4), and extra-foveal (96.4%). Ten of the 37 cases with a follow-up developed a neo-vascular membrane. Two of these were extra-foveal and were successfully treated with Argon Laser photocoagulation. Sub-retinal neovascular membranes as well as various other complications related to the trauma, such as macular hole, sub-retinal fibrosis and atrophic changes of the retinal pigment epithelium in the macular area, were responsible for a final visual acuity less than 0.2 in 38% of the cases. The influence of the fragility of Bruch's membrane on the number of choroidal tears was evaluated by the relation between the age of the patients and the number of tears, younger patients presenting more often single choroidal tears: the difference is nevertheless not statistically significant. A careful follow-up with repeated fluorescein angiographies is recommended for at least the 2 years following the trauma.