222 November 2002 Category 1
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Rhegmatog PAMELA DALY, CST, SA-C genousRETINAL o DETACHMENTS he retina is comprised of in the area of detachment.16,22,2 1.2 million photorecep- The incidence of primary reti- tors that are responsible nal detachment is approximately for changing light rays 12 cases per 100,000.11 They occur T into electrical impulses more often in men, typically that are carried along the optic between ages 40 and 70.17 nerve to the brain.22 The retina This article will describe the must remain firmly adhered to pathogenesis and treatment of the retinal pigment epithelium primary rhegmatogenous retinal (RPE) on the inside wall of the eye detachment (RRD), an uncommon in order to function properly. In yet important cause of visual loss a retinal detachment, the retina that can be treated most effec- separates from the RPE, causing tively by early recognition of malfunction of the photorecep- symptoms and urgent surgical tors and diminished vision correction. NOVEMBER 2002 The Surgical Technologist 9 222 NOVEMBER 2002 CATEGORY 1 Anatomy for the posterior portion of the vitreous. The The posterior eye wall is formed by three juxta- posterior hyaloid collapses inward toward the posed layers: (1) the sclera, which is a tough, central vitreous cavity, peeling itself off of the fibrous outer shell that serves to protect the retina. The more liquefied vitreous fluid leaks internal ocular structures; (2) the choroid, a into the space created by the collapse of this pos- highly vascular layer that provides nutrients to terior gel. This process is called a posterior vitre- the outer portion of the retina, (along with the ous detachment (PVD).1,2,3,6,7,10,16 PVDs occur in RPE); and (3) the retina which contains the pho- virtually all adults and the incidence increases toreceptors, neurosensory fibers and support- with age.4 Myopia, aphakia, pseudophakia, ing cells that transmit visual information to the inflammation and trauma can also increase the brain.21,22 (Figure 1) likelihood of PVD.7 Roughly 75% of all 75-year- The posterior segment of the eye receives light old patients show evidence of PVD on a dilated that passes through the anterior segment struc- eye examination.17 tures (the cornea, iris and lens) and converges PVDs are usually asymptomatic, but patients that light on the retinal surface.21 (Figure 2) The may notice an abrupt increase in visual abnor- acentral part of the retina, the macula, is the part malities (usually in the form of new floaters or of the retina that is aligned with the central visu- peripheral flashes of light).6,8 Floaters occur for al axis; when it is diseased, central acuity is poor several reasons. The liquefied vitreous is now while peripheral vision is often spared. The vitre- much more mobile because it has detached itself ous cavity is the central portion of the globe, and from the retinal surface. The differences in the is filled with a clear, collagenous gel, called the viscosity of the more formed and less formed vitreous body. As the eye ages, the relationship portions of the gel can cause visual aberrations.23 between the vitreous gel and the peripheral reti- As the gel detaches from the retina it can also pull na forms the basis for understanding the patho- fibrous, glial tissue off the optic nerve head (a genesis of rhegmatogenous retinal detach- Weiss ring) that can be seen as a circular floater ments.1,2,5,7 in the central portion of vision.22 Hemorrhage can also cause new floaters. This Pathogenesis and classification typically occurs when the retina becomes torn Primary RRD are formed when a retinal tear or during a PVD.2 As the gel peels away from the break occurs, allowing the vitreous fluid to seep retina, any area of abnormally strong vitreoreti- through the retinal break and gain access to the nal adhesion (prior trauma, scars, lattice degen- subretinal space.4 This process occurs as a com- eration or other retinal disease) may place the plication of a natural maturing of the vitreous patient at risk for a retinal tear.3,13,22 The gel will gel.2 In a younger person, the vitreous gel has a either break free (with no retinal damage) or will high concentration of collagen and relatively low remain stuck. A flap of retina will be pulled water content. This makeup creates a vitreous toward the central part of the eye along with the body that is well formed, with the consistency of vitreous body, creating a tear. Patients with gelatin. evolving PVD often experience peripheral With age, the collagen content naturally flashes caused by the traction and tugging on diminishes and the water content increases, the retina by the vitreous.1,2,4,16 The resulting yielding vitreous that has the consistency of an horseshoe tear usually progresses to a primary egg white. As the vitreous breaks down and RRD—primary, since no other disease led to the becomes much more fluid, the collagenous por- detachment, and rhegmatogenous, since a reti- tion is still attached to the retinal surface as a nal break led to the accumulation of subretinal broad sheet. This is called the posterior hyaloid fluid (rhegma=break).23 or posterior vitreous face. The liquefaction of the Once fluid begins to enter the subretinal central vitreous cavity causes a loss of support space and elevate the retina off of the choroids, The Surgical Technologist NOVEMBER 2002 10 FIGURE 1 Extraocular muscle Anatomy Retina of the eye. Conjuctiva Sclera Ciliary body Choroid Schlemm’s canal Retinal blood vessels Anterior chamber Macula Pupil Cornea Iris Crystalline lens Anterior chamber angle Posterior chamber Zonules Central retinal Optic nerve blood vessels visual field anomalies can be seen in the area detachment usually can preserve sharp 20/20 of detachment due to lack of nutrition of the acuity (with correction).23 photoreceptors.1,22 At this stage, patients may Other forms of retinal detachment include still have crisp central vision but a slowly exudative and tractional. Exudative detachments enlarging field deficit. If repair is not per- occur as a result of extreme inflammation, formed at this stage, the visual darkening will abnormal blood vessel growth beneath the retina progress across the eye, through the central (choroidal neovascular membranes), or cancer- part of vision. When this occurs, the vision ous conditions (lymphoma, melanoma).22 The usually drops to the “finger-counting” to fluid that collects in the subretinal space does not “hand-motions” level. Prompt surgical inter- come from the vitreous cavity as in primary vention once the macula has detached will usu- rhegmatogenous detachments, but instead is ally restore a significant amount of central acu- proteinasceous serous fluid that leaks from ity, but, in most cases, the best-corrected vision abnormally permeable blood vessels.15,22 improves postoperatively only to the 20/50 Tractional detachments occur as a result of level.23 Prompt correction prior to macular scar tissue that grows across the concave retinal NOVEMBER 2002 The Surgical Technologist 11 FIGURE 2 Sclera Light rays converge Iris Film on to the retina like Lens the film of a camera. Ifthe film or retina is Lens Cornea not good,the image Retina won’t be clear. Vitreous Optic nerve surface and then contracts, shortening the reti- placed cautery 2-3 mm into the wound. Using na and elevating it off of the concave eye wall. this technique, he achieved a 40-50% reattach- Proliferative diabetic retinopathy and prolifera- ment rate.23 tive vitreoretinopathy are two examples of severe Others quickly improved upon Gonin’s orig- traction-producing diseases.12,15,22,23 inal operation. Gonin espoused two main prin- ciples that remain the basis for all successful reti- History of surgical correction nal detachment surgery: (1) all breaks must be Hermann Von Helmholtz is credited with found, and (2) all breaks must be accurately inventing the ophthalmoscope in 1851; this localized (so they can be closed).22 Gonin recog- advance created the means to accurately describe nized that a surgical failure meant that the retinal and subsequently repair retinal detachments.17,23 break was not properly closed or that another Jules Gonin is considered to be the father of reti- break existed.22,23 nal detachment surgery. He believed, along with Two significant advances in fundus examina- Theodor Leber, that liquid vitreous forced holes tion were made in the late 1940s. Charles Schep- in the retina. Leber found retinal breaks in 70% ens’ electrically illuminated binocular indirect of all retinal detachments and noted that there ophthalmoscope remains the most valuable was usually a break in the area where the retinal instrument currently available for evaluation of detachment began.17,23 Both Gonin and Leber a detached retina. The Goldman three-mirror stressed that contraction of the vitreous body lens permits stereoscopic slit lamp examination tore holes in the retina at sites of previous chori- of almost the entire retina if the pupil can be oretinitis (inflammation) or by chorioretinal widely dilated and if the ocular media (cornea, degeneration. lens, vitreous) is clear.22 In 1938, Bengt Rosen- Once Gonin realized that retinal breaks led to gren increased the rate of reattachment by detachment, he concluded that a permanent injecting air into the vitreous to tamponade the cure depended on sealing them. In 1919, he per- retinal break after diathermy treatment and formed the first operation designed to close reti- drainage of subretinal fluid.With this technique, nal breaks.17 After localization of the break, he Rosengren’s reattachment rate improved to made a radial incision through the sclera to the 76%.23 choroids with a Graefe knife, then used the knife In 1953, Ernst Custodis introduced scleral to incise the choroids and enter the subretinal indentation, or “buckling,”to help close retinal space, draining the subretinal fluid.