Determination of the incidence and clinical characteristics of subsequent retinal tears following treatment of the acute posterior vitreous detachment-related initial retinal tears.

Purpose: To determine the incidence of subsequent retinal tears (SRT) in patients who were previously treated for acute posterior vitreous detachment (PVD)-related retinal tears.

Design: Retrospective chart review.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 155 eyes of 137 consecutive patients treated for acute PVD-related retinal tears was performed.

Surgical ablation of retinal angiomatous proliferation.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) remains the leading cause of visual loss in adults older than 65 years. Retinal angiomatous proliferation (RAP) is a newly recognized manifestation of exudative AMD that has a poor natural history and demonstrated resistance to treatment with conventional laser photocoagulation. A novel surgical technique has been developed in this pilot series that shows promise in the treatment of this subtype of neovascular lesions.

Management of submacular hemorrhage.

Submacular hemorrhage is a vision-threatening complication of choroidal and retinal disease. Visual outcome after submacular hemorrhage is dependent on the underlying disease process, amount of subretinal hemorrhage, and duration before treatment. Treatment options include observation, surgical evacuation with or without tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), or pneumatic displacement with or without tPA.

Treatment of subretinal hemorrhages with tissue plasminogen activator.

Submacular hemorrhages pose a danger to visual acuity. Intervention may help prevent or mitigate severe visual loss. Pneumatic displacement and vitrectomy with direct evacuation are two methods of treating submacular hemorrhages.

Photodynamic therapy update.

Photodynamic therapy uses a photoactivating agent to selectively treat choroidal neovascularization. In April 2000, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved verteporfin photodynamic therapy for the treatment of subfoveal, predominately classic, choroidal neovascularization caused by age-related macular degeneration. The treatment of choroidal neovascularization from other causes such as myopia, angioid streaks, and idiopathy, and presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome is still under investigation.