Crystalline Retinopathy Associated With Chronic Retinal Detachment

Abstract

To describe the presence of crystalline opacities located at the level of the inner retina in patients with chronic retinal detachment. Methods: We reviewed the clinical records, fundus photographs, and fluorescein angiograms of patients with superficial retinal crystals in the presence of a chronic retinal detachment.

Vitreoretinal Surgery

“…Other indices of long-standing detachment include retinal cysts (secondary retinoschisis) (Marcus and Aaberg 1979 ) , oxalate crystals on the macula (Ahmed et al 1998 ) and peripheral neovascularisation. Multiple high-water marks in detached retina indicate recurrent extension of the detachment and are more often seen in slower onset detachments associated with round holes or dialyses.…”

Optical coherence tomography of macular crystalline opacities associated with chronic retinal detachment

“…1 The association of crystals in the retina and chronic retinal detachment was first described in 1958 2 and subsequently a few further cases have been published. 3,4 The early 1958 report is the only one with any histopathological data and indicated that the crystals were formed from calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate.…”

“…It has been suggested by some that they lie in the outer retina. 2 However, a case report 3 and another case series of 11 eyes 4 suggested that clinically the deposits appeared no deeper than the level of the internal limiting membrane (ILM).…”

“…The OCT images shown in Figure 4 are valuable as they confirm that these crystalline opacities associated with chronic retinal detachment are located in the superficial retina, correlating the findings by others. 3,4 The exact aetiology of the 'crystals' is unknown. Some have postulated that they are associated with degenerating photoreceptors 2 and others have suggested that they represent firm adhesion points of vitreous to the lamellae of the ILM when the vitreous separates from the retina; 3 however, neither of the cases reported in this paper had a clinical PVD.…”

“…3,4 The exact aetiology of the 'crystals' is unknown. Some have postulated that they are associated with degenerating photoreceptors 2 and others have suggested that they represent firm adhesion points of vitreous to the lamellae of the ILM when the vitreous separates from the retina; 3 however, neither of the cases reported in this paper had a clinical PVD. In the absence of extensive histological study, it is only possible to speculate about the exact cause and pathogenesis of this unusual phenomenon.…”