A 12-year review on the aetiology and surgical outcomes of paediatric rhegmatogenous retinal detachments in Hong Kong

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the aetiology, clinical features, and surgical outcomes of paediatric rhegmatogenous retinal detachments (RRD) in Hong Kong. Patients and methods: This is a retrospective consecutive case series of all patients aged 18 or under who underwent primary retinal detachment repair in the Hong Kong Eye Hospital from January 2000 to December 2012. Results: Forty-nine eyes of 47 patients were included. The mean age was 14, and the mean follow-up duration was 6.2 years. The most common aetiology for RRD was idiopathic (28.6%), followed by high myopia (24.5%), atopic dermatitis (AD) (18.4%), congenital and developmental abnormalities (16.3%), trauma (8.2%), and intraocular inflammation (4.1%). The mean preoperative visual acuity was LogMAR 1.0±0.8 (Snellen equivalent 6/60). The primary anatomical success rate in this series was 65.3%, and the final anatomical success rate was 85.7%. The mean postoperative visual acuity was LogMAR 0.9±1.2 (Snellen equivalent 6/48). Patients with congenital and developmental abnormalities or AD had worse anatomical and functional outcomes than patients who had no predisposing factor or high myopia. Conclusions: The primary and overall anatomical success rates in our series were comparable with existing literature. High myopia is the most commonly identifiable risk factor in Hong Kong and AD is associated with a higher re-detachment rates and a poor visual outcome.