The records of 187 consecutive patients (206 eyes) with a diagnosis of secondary premacular fibrosis were reviewed. The mean patient age was 63.2 years; 96 (51.3%) patients were men. The most common surgical causes in 175 eyes were cataract extraction with or without implant, 73 (41.7%); scleral buckle, 33 (18.9%); both cataract extraction with implant and scleral buckle (in separate surgical sessions), 20 (11.4%); argon laser procedures, 17 (9.7%); and retinal cryopexy, 14 (8.0%). The most common nonsurgical causes in 31 eyes were blunt ocular trauma, 12 (38.7%); uveitis, 9 (29.0%); and retinal vein occlusion, 5 (16.1%). Initial visual acuity was 20/100 or better in 120 of the 206 eyes (58.3%). After a minimum follow-up period of 6 months (mean, 44.2 months), 72 of 101 eyes (71.3%) had stable or improved visual acuity without surgical intervention. Of 32 eyes that underwent vitrectomy with membrane stripping, 25 of 26 eyes (96.2%) followed for a mean period of 24 months (minimum, 6 months) had stable or improved visual acuity. Of 157 eyes that did not undergo vitrectomy, 143 (91.1%) had partial or complete posterior detachment. Fifty-eight of 148 eyes (39.2%) had angiographic cystoid macular edema; however, vitreous traction at the macula was not a significant cause of cystoid macular edema (CME) in these eyes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)