Vitrectomy for macular hemorrhage associated with retinal arterial macroaneurysm.

Abstract

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of pars plana vitrectomy to treat massive macular hemorrhage caused by retinal arterial macroaneurysm. Retrospective case series. Eight eyes of eight patients. We retrospectively reviewed the charts for eight eyes of eight patients in which pars plana vitrectomy had been performed to remove a massive macular hemorrhage secondary to a ruptured retinal arterial macroaneurysm. In each case, the preretinal/intralamellar hemorrhage was removed, and in three of the eight eyes a subretinal hemorrhage was removed via a retinotomy after clot lysis using tissue plasminogen activator. Pars plana vitrectomy to treat macular hemorrhage secondary to retinal arterial macroaneurysm. The duration of symptoms ranged from 10 to 80 days (average, 31 days). The preoperative visual acuities ranged from counting fingers to 0.09. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 36 months (average, 19 months). The postoperative visual acuities improved in seven eyes and remained unchanged in one; vision was better than 0.1 in six eyes and better than 0.4 in five. Postoperative complications included a mild vitreous hemorrhage in two eyes, a macular hole in one, and a cataract in two. Pars plana vitrectomy appears to be relatively safe and effective in treating massive macular hemorrhage caused by a retinal arterial macroaneurysm.