Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness After Successful Retinal Detachment Repair with Persistent Subretinal Fluid at the Macula.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationship between subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and persistent subretinal fluid (pSRF) at the macula after successful rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) surgery.

METHODS

This is a retrospective multicenter comparative study of Caucasian subjects with successful RRD repair. SFCT was measured in 2 groups: Group 1 with persistent subretinal fluid (pSRF) 1 month after repair, and Group 2 with absence of pSRF. SFCT was measured by a masked observer based on ImageJ. Multiple regression analyses were implemented to control for age, refraction, and gender.

RESULTS

Surgery type was as follows: Group 1 (24 scleral buckle SB, 23 pars plana vitrectomy PPV, 9 SB+PPV, and 5 pneumoretinopexy), and Group 2 (68 PPV). Adjusted mean 1-month SFCT was thicker in Group 1 than in Group 2 by 41.0 µm (p = 0.049). Within Group 1, PPV subgroup tended to have thinner SFCT than the other subgroups by: SB (117.4 µm), SB-PPV (9.3) and pneumoretinopexy (1.2 µm) (all p>0.05). SFCT at 1-month was not different between pSRF (237.5±77.2 µm) and no pSRF (213.7±72.1 µm) in PPV groups (p=0.2).

CONCLUSION

SFCT post PPV appeared similar in eyes with or without pSRF. In eyes with pSRF, SFCT tended to be thicker following SB compared to PPV.