The HELLP syndrome is a pregnancy complication, life-threatening for mother and child, characterized by hypertension, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets. Blurred vision is the most common visual complaint. A rare case of bilateral exudative retinal detachment associated with the HELLP syndrome is described in a 30-year-old Caucasian woman at 33 weeks’ gestation. The retinal detachment did reattach with good improvement in vision under steroid therapy. The case highlights the importance of early involvement of the ophthalmologist when pregnant women complain about visual disorders.
Background/aims 23-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (ppv) is a new method for vitreoretinal surgery. It may reduce operation time, the risk of complications, and patient discomfort, especially in combination with simultaneous bimanual microincisional cataract surgery (b-MICS). Methods Seventy-five consecutive patients who underwent combined cataract surgery and ppv at our center between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2010 were included. The first 36 patients were treated with 20-gauge ppv, the following 39 patients with 23-gauge ppv. Study end points 8 weeks after surgery were duration of the procedure, improvement of visual acuity, and occurrence of complications. Results Duration of surgery was reduced in 23-vs 20-gauge ppv (54.0 ± 11.6 vs 61.0 ± 19.0 min, P ¼ 0.08). Visual acuity improved significantly in both the groups (20-gauge: logMAR 0.750±0.304 before and 0.369±0.273 after surgery; 23-gauge: logMAR 0.663±0.340 before and 0.339±0.273 after surgery). There were no appreciable group differences in baseline or post-treatment visual acuity. Conclusions 23-gauge ppv in combination with b-MICS is a suitable, safe, and effective method for the treatment of combined cataract and vitreo-retinal diseases. The procedure is somewhat shorter and patient discomfort during and after surgery is improved. In terms of efficacy and safety, 23-gauge ppv is equivalent with conventional 20-gauge ppv.
Brilliant blue provides a sufficient and selective staining of the ILM. No retinal toxicity or adverse effects related to the dye were observed in this study. The long-term safety of this dye will have to be evaluated in larger patient series and a longer follow-up.
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