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Descemet’s membrane detachment increasing with clear corneal surgery, study suggests
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PHILADELPHIA — An increasing incidence of Descemet’s membrane detachment may be related to the growth of clear corneal cataract procedures, a study here suggests.
Alexandre S. Marcon, MD, and colleagues with Wills Eye Hospital reviewed clinical data on 15 eyes of 12 patients who were seen at their cornea service between 1986 and 2001 with nonscrolled Descemet’s membrane detachment (DMD) after cataract surgery. The review seemed to indicate that referrals for DMD is on the rise.
According to the report, nine of the eyes had received clear corneal incisions, four received limbal incisions, one eye underwent a combined trabeculectomy and phacoemulsification procedure and one eye underwent extracapsular cataract extraction. Of the 12 patients, 11 presented between 1996 and 2001, all with clear corneal incisions.
After a mean duration of 9.8 weeks, eight of the 15 eyes resolved with medical treatment alone. One patient was improving on medical treatment, but was lost to follow-up, while another patient required a penetrating keratoplasty (PK) after medical treatment failed.
In three of five eyes that received anterior-chamber SF6 gas injections, the DMD resolved. One eye required a repeat injection after 10 weeks without improvement, and one eye required PK.
The authors concluded that medical treatment of DMD may be appropriate initial therapy, with the use of SF6 gas injection when necessary.
The report is published in Ophthalmology.