Background and Objectives: Because no previous studies have addressed the issue, we describe clinical characteristics and surgical outcome of patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in a pediatric population of the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia.Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all consecutive cases of pediatric RRD (0-18 years) patients presenting at Dhahran Eye Specialist Hospital, a tertiary care hospital, in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia over a period of 3 years.Results: Twenty patients were included in the study, accounting for 9.
4% of all retinal detachment surgery cases performed over a period of 3 years (January 2006 to December 2008).The median age was 11.0 years, (range, birth to 18 years).
Trauma, (45%) myopia/vitreoretinal degeneration (10%) and prior simply southern cat shirt ocular surgery (25%) were significant risk factors for RRD.Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) more than grade C was present in 14/20 (70%) of 355 maybelline fit me cases.Most patients (15/20, 75%) were treated with pars plana vitrectomy and placement of an encircling buckle, while silicone oil or gas was used as tamponade in 13/20 (65%) patients.
Surgery was successful in 17/20 (85%) cases in achieving retinal re-attachment.Visual acuity improved significantly following surgery (Mean preop 2.146 LogMAR, Mean postop 1.
497 LogMAR) ( P=.014).Longer duration of RRD ( P =.
007) and macular involvement ( P =.05) were associated with worse anatomical outcomes following surgery.Conclusion: Pediatric RRD in the Eastern province is often associated with predisposing pathology.
Surgery is successful in achieving anatomical reattachment of the retina in a majority of cases with improvement of visual acuity.