Proliferative vitreoretinopathy: a natural history of the fellow eye.

Abstract

To determine how often the fellow eyes of patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) harbor a vision-threatening condition at presentation; to determine how often the fellow eyes of patients with PVR develop vision-threatening conditions; and to determine how often the fellow eyes of patients with PVR lose vision. A retrospective case review design was used. Two hundred and forty-nine patients with PVR were studied. The authors observed the fellow eye of eyes with PVR for vision-threatening pathology. The primary anatomic endpoint of this study was the detection of vision-threatening pathology in the fellow eye of patients with PVR. Secondary outcome measures included the development of visual loss in the fellow eye. A wide variety of vision-threatening conditions were diagnosed in the fellow eyes of patients with PVR. Of patients meeting entry criteria with reliable follow-up data, greater than 50% of fellow eyes demonstrated vision-threatening pathology at some point during follow-up. Patients who develop PVR in one eye are at considerable risk for developing vision-threatening pathology or vision-damaging conditions in the fellow eye. This information should be carefully considered when making surgical decisions in patients facing PVR surgery.