Surgical Outcomes of Vitrectomy for Primary Treatment of Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis

Purpose: To investigate the clinical results of vitrectomy alone as the primary treatment for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment(RD) in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Methods: The medical records of patients with AD treated for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) were retrospectivelyreviewed. We investigated the characteristics of retinal breaks and detachments, applied surgical methods, and results. Results: Twenty eyes of 14 patients with AD who presented with rhegmatogenous RD and treated by vitrectomy were includedin this analysis. Sixteen eyes (80%) were treated with vitrectomy, either alone or in combination with cataract surgery,and the retina was successfully attached to 94% of the eyes. There were four cases in which vitrectomy was combined withencircling. Reoperation was needed in half of the eyes that received vitrectomy with encircling, which presented nearly totaldetachment, severe proliferative vitreoretinopathy, and pseudophakia. Conclusions: Vitrectomy alone, in combination with cataract surgery, may be sufficient to treat rhegmatogenous RD in patientswith AD. Additional encircling or buckling should still be considered in complicated cases.