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Prevalence of clinical asymptomatic retinal detachment in myopic population

Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah, Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel

Correspondence to:
Dr I Chowers, Vitreo-Retinal Diseases and Surgery Service, Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, PO Box 12000, Jerusalem, Israel, 91120; chowers{at}hadassah.org.il

Aim: To evaluate the prevalence of clinical asymptomatic retinal detachment (ARD) in myopic population.

Methods: A retrospective study including all myopic individuals who underwent ophthalmic evaluation prior to excimer laser procedures at the Hadassah Center for Refractive Surgery between March 2002 and March 2006. Medical records were reviewed to extract demographics and refraction, and to identify patients who were diagnosed as having asymptomatic retinal detachment.

Results: Data were collected on 6547 myopic individuals (12 815 eyes); of these, 2907 (44.4%) were males, and 3640 (55.6%) were females. The mean age was 31.5 (SD 10) years (range 18–64 years). The mean preoperative spheric equivalence was –4.42 (2.07) (range –0.75 to –16.00). The mean best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was 20/20 (range 20/32 to 20/12.5). Five eyes (0.039% or one of approximately 2563 eyes) of four patients had clinical ARD which was diagnosed during the routine preoperative examination. Three eyes underwent successful scleral buckling procedure while two patients were lost to follow-up.

Conclusions: Clinical asymptomatic retinal detachment is uncommon, accounting for a minority of retinal detachments in myopes, and may be diagnosed during routine ophthalmoscopy prior to a refractive procedure.