[Prevention, in the contralateral eye, of a giant tear ablation]

Abstract

In this paper the authors report on 11 patients with giant tear detachment, whose fellow eyes were prophylactically treated with cryopexy or laser coagulation. The patients were followed up for between 4 and 12 years. The prophylactic lesions were located radially or circumferentially (circumscribed or extending through 180 degrees). In 4 out of 11 patients new tears developed during the follow-up period. The tears occurred between 1 month and 7 1/2 years after prophylactic treatment. In one of these cases a giant tear (90 degrees) developed in spite of prophylaxis: this was a case in which the coagulations extended circumferentially for 180 degrees; the new tear originated posteriorly to the scars. In contrast to this only multiple small horseshoe tears were observed in the other 3 patients: in these cases the prophylactic lesions were arranged radially or were circumferential and circumscribed. Some of these horseshoe tears were still attached and were treated with cryopexy or laser coagulation; others were already detached, reattachment was achieved by cryopexy and radial buckling of the tears.