[Subretinal proliferation and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment].

We reviewed the clinical files of 314 patients (341 eyes) affected by rhegmatogenous retinal detachment who were operated on before any failed attempt to reattach the retina. The study was conducted to elucidate the clinical and prognostic value of subretinal proliferation. Clinical evidence of subretinal proliferation visible at preoperative examination was more frequent in eyes with retinal detachments related to retinogenic retinal breaks (oral dialyses, atrophic holes in lattice) (32.35%) as compared to retinal detachments associated with horse-shoe tears (4.60%) (P < 0.001). The mean duration of retinal detachments with subretinal proliferation was 12 months (range: 3 months to 5 years). Postoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy occurred in 2.27% (1/44 eyes) of retinal detachments with subretinal proliferation compared with 6.73% (20/297 eyes) of retinal detachments without subretinal proliferation. Permanent retinal reattachment was achieved in all eyes with subretinal proliferation. However postoperative visual acuity of 20/40 or better was obtained in only 34% (15/44 eyes) of eyes with subretinal proliferation compared with 58% (160/275 eyes) of retinal detachments without subretinal proliferation (P < 0.01).