Eight eyes were examined histologically after silicone oil injection. Intraretinal deposits suggestive of silicone were not present in attached retinas, but were frequently observed in detached retinas when subretinal silicone occurred. This may possibly be due to defects in the horizontal conducting structures of the retina such as those occurring in persistent detachment with disorganization of the retina. Morphologically, the retina was essentially normal 3.5 years after the silicone injection. This observation contradicts the idea that silicone oil has a toxic effect.

No abstract

In a retrospective study, the results of pars plana vitrectomy in treatment of injuries with intraocular foreign bodies were described. The patient material was subdivided into five different groups. In 41.6% of the cases, practical blinding could not be prevented. A visual acuity of 0.2 and better was present in 26.6% of the cases. The preoperative (45%) and postoperative (30%) traumatic retinal detachment have an extremely unfavorable prognosis with a reattachment rate of 40 or 21% respectively. The results in the treatment of injuries with magnetic splitters and their sequelae are very much better than those with nonmagnetic foreign bodies. The gunshot and air rifle pellet injuries were the most unfavorable group.

One hundred patients suffering from proliferative vitreous retinopathy (PVR) at various stages underwent vitrectomy in combination with silicone oil injection. Retinal reattachment and navigating visual acuity were be achieved in the medium term in 75% of the patients with early PVR. In the cases where the condition was more advanced, with extended shortening of the retina there was a high rate of reproliferation, with the result that medium-term navigating visual acuity could only be achieved in a few cases. At the moment the major problem of PVR is postoperative epiretinal reproliferation.

No abstract