[Immunohistology of proliferative vitreoretinopathy following giant tear detachment]

Abstract

A patient with multiple bilateral retinal holes and a history of several prior surgical interventions was treated by pars plana vitrectomy for total traction retinal detachment in the right eye. The preretinal membrane specimen obtained surgically was analyzed using an immunological label for macrophages, vimentin, cytokeratin, fibronectin, fibrinogen, transferrin, the transferrin receptor, blood coagulation factor XIII-A and XIII-S, and haptoglobin. The results of the study suggest that factor XIII and fibronectin play an important role in idiopathic PVR. Proliferating cells of fibroblastic appearance invade a preretinal exudate and restructure the injured vitreoretinal tissue, forming a contracted scar. Macrophages, known to be characteristic of early posttraumatic PVR development, were not present in this case of PVR, where traction retinal detachment was presumably induced by the formation of multiple retinal holes.