Macular Outer Retinal Atrophy Following Vitrectomy and Hypotony: Two Cases.

Abstract

Purpose: To characterize two cases of focal outer retinal atrophy and hypotony after vitrectomy.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of two patients' records between 2019 and 2023.

Results: Patient 1 underwent vitrectomy, epiretinal membrane peel, and cataract extraction for visually significant macular pucker. She developed hypotony without a wound leak and was noted to have a focal parafoveal area of ellipsoid zone disruption by 1 week post-operatively, which evolved into outer retinal and chorioretinal atrophy within 6 weeks after surgery. This area of atrophy remained stable in size, but the patient later reported a paracentral scotoma. Patient 2 had multiple previous surgeries for retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Seven years later, the IOL dislocated and was exchanged with scleral fixation of a new IOL. On post-operative day 1, he had hypotony with macular folds secondary to a leaking sclerotomy wound. The sclerotomies were sutured on post-operative day 3, and his intraocular pressure normalized. However, he developed a central, focal area of chorioretinal atrophy within 1 week of the initial surgery. The size of this area of atrophy remained stable over years but resulted in reduced central vision.

Conclusion: Hypotony following vitrectomy may rarely predispose patients to the development of focal chorioretinal atrophy.