rss
Br J Ophthalmol 2008;92:526-529 doi:10.1136/bjo.2007.131383
  • Original Article
    • Clinical science

Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)–choroid graft translocation in the treatment of an RPE tear: preliminary results

  1. K Maaijwee1,
  2. A M Joussen2,
  3. B Kirchhof3,
  4. J C van Meurs1,4
  1. 1
    Department of Vitreoretinal Surgery, the Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  2. 2
    Department of Ophthalmology, University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
  3. 3
    Department of Vitreoretinal Surgery, Center of Ophthalmology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
  4. 4
    Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  1. Dr K Maaijwee, The Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Schiedamse Vest 180, 3011 BH Rotterdam, The Netherlands; kmaaijwee{at}hotmail.com
  • Accepted 15 November 2007

Abstract

Aim: To investigate whether retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)–choroid translocation would be a suitable treatment for RPE tears, which have a poor prognosis and are encountered more often since the introduction of anti-(vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)) therapy for exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: Prospective interventional case series of six eyes of six patients with AMD with an RPE tear treated with an RPE–choroid translocation. The RPE tear occurred in a vascularised pigment epithelium detachment in four patients and after treatment in the other two. Preoperative and postoperative evaluation included ETDRS visual acuity (VA) and fixation testing. The follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 2 years.

Results: The mean preoperative VA was 20/160 (range 20/400–20/80). The mean VA at the last examination after surgery was 20/80 (range 1/60–20/50). One of the six patients had a preoperative VA of ≥20/80, and four had a VA of 20/80 or better at their last examination. Foveal fixation on the graft was present in five of the six eyes up to the last examination.

Conclusion: These preliminary data show that an RPE–choroid translocation may be a treatment option for patients with an RPE tear.

Footnotes

  • Funding: This study was supported by the SWOO-Flieringa Foundation (Foundation Scientific Research Eye Hospital Rotterdam), the Rotterdam Eye Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

  • Competing interests: None.

  • Ethics approval: Ethics approval was obtained.

  • Patient consent: Patient consent was obtained for publication of figs 1 and 2.

This Article

  1. Abstract
  2. Full text
  3. PDF

Responses

  1. Submit a response
  2. No responses published

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.