Retinal pigment epithelium tear after vitrectomy for vitreomacular traction syndrome in an eye with retinal angiomatous proliferation.

An 87-year-old Japanese man presented with retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) and a retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) detachment in his right eye. His decimal best-corrected visual acuity was 0.15 in the right eye, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) showed a vitreomacular adhesion in the right eye as well. After 3 monthly intravitreal injections of ranibizumab, the size and height of the RPE detachment was significantly reduced. The accumulated intra- and subretinal fluid also disappeared, but the vitreomacular traction remained. Pars plana vitrectomy was performed, and the posterior hyaloid was separated from the retina with a vitrectomy cutter without any intraoperative complications. Two months after the surgery, a large RPE tear was observed over the macular area. His visual acuity decreased to 0.06 and remained unchanged thereafter. We suggest that the small tear led to the larger RPE tear because vitreomacular traction was transmitted to the RPE through the fibrovascular tissue of the RAP during the creation of the hyaloid detachment. Because such an RPE tear has not been reported after vitrectomy for vitreomacular traction, surgeons need to pay special attention to this potential complication in eyes with vitreomacular traction and RAP.