Conservative management of retinal breaks

The following report presents the results of a I to 6 year follow-up study of I53 untreated retinal breaks in Io8 eyes, with regard to the development of retinal detachment. This is the first series with a water-tight follow-up. Most of the breaks under study were dangerous according to the accepted criteria. A review of the literature reveals only isolated cases in which a long-standing retinal break has led to the development of a retinal detachment. The present paper emphasizes the role of fresh, as opposed to old, breaks in the pathogenesis of retinal detachment.