Management of Subfoveal Perfluorocarbon Liquid: A Review

Abstract

Perfluorocarbon liquid (PFCL) has been widely used in vitreoretinal surgeries, especially in retinal detachment treatment. A prominent complication of intraoperative PFCL application is inadvertent subretinal PFCL retention. Subfoveal PFCL, even in small amounts, receives much attention due to its potential side effect on the macular structure and function. Whether to observe with follow-up or to deal with surgery is often an intractable problem in the management of subfoveal PFCL. Safety and necessity are the 2 key issues in considering surgical treatment, that is, can we avoid surgically induced macular injury and will surgery be beneficial for the recovery of vision? Herein, the authors review sub-foveal PFCL retention with its risk factors, morphological manifestations, pathological studies, clinical natural consequences, and different surgical methods with their outcomes. Analysis of the existing literature shows that visual acuity improved significantly after subfoveal PFCL removal or displacement and was positively correlated with visual acuity before the operation.

Keywords: Complication; Retinal detachment; Subfoveal perfluorocarbon liquid; Vitreoretinal surgery.