Purpose This study is aimed at reporting a rare case of polygonal retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) avulsion following retinal cryotherapy for retinal detachment. Methods Case report. Results A 53‐year‐old man presented with recurrent retinal detachment 30 days after 23G vitrectomy with 20% sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas endotamponade. Intraocular pressure was < 1 mmHg, with horizontal chorioretinal folds due to hypotony. Re‐vitrectomy with PFCL, cryotherapy, endolaser, and silicone oil was performed. During surgery, a large RPE avulsion with island formation and a small full‐thickness retinal avulsion causing re‐detachment were identified in the cryotherapy area. After 6 months with attached retina, the silicone oil was removed and the retina remained stable. Conclusions Cryotherapy‐induced scarring for retinal detachment repair is likely to cause traction. In our case, traction from the scar resulted in a full‐thickness retinal tear and RPE avulsion, leading to re‐detachment. Careful follow‐up is essential to detect and treat complications.
Mylonas et al. (Thu,) studied this question.