Outer retinal thickness and retinal sensitivity in macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment after successful reattachment.

Purpose: To determine the relationship between the retinal thickness and sensitivity of the macular region after successful reattachment of an acute macula-off rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).

Methods: Twenty-three eyes of 23 patients with an acute macula-off RRD were studied (17 men, 6 women). The mean age of the patients was 53.2±14.7 years with a range from 20 to 73 years. The interval between the decrease in vision and surgery was <14 days in all cases. At 3 and 6 months after the surgery, the thickness of the inner and outer retina was determined by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and the retinal sensitivity was measured by microperimetry with MP-1. The values were compared to those obtained from the unaffected fellow eyes. Changes in the best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), retinal thickness, and retinal sensitivity at 3 and 6 months from the baseline values were studied.

Results: Ten eyes were treated by scleral buckling (SB) and 13 eyes by pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), and the retina was reattached in all eyes. The mean BCVA was significantly improved at 3 and 6 months postoperatively (p<0.001, <0.001). The outer retina of macula was significantly thicker after SB than after PPV (p=0.023 at 3 months; p=0.045 at 6 months). The retinal sensitivity of the central 10 degrees of the retinas after SB was lower than that of eyes after PPV (p=0.029 at 3 months and p=0.008 at 6 months).

Conclusions: The delay in the recovery of outer retinal thickness may be the cause of the lower sensitivity of the macula.