Abstract
The ocular manifestations in a family with Stickler syndrome and the results of laser photocoagulation as preventive treatment for retinal detachment are described. Forty-two family members with Stickler syndrome were retrospectively reviewed; 22 had ocular abnormalities, 22 had myopia and 16 had high myopia. Ten patients had developed retinal detachment and 9 of them were blind in one or both eyes because of irreparable detachment. Only 2 eyes had been operated on successfully. Ten eyes were lasered prophylactically. In eyes with extensive vitreoretinopathy laser burns were applied 360° around the peripheral retina at the border between the pathological and normal retina. Eyes with isolated lesions received focal treatment around the pathological areas. Four eyes received 360° laser photocoagulation and 6 eyes received focal treatment. Of the treated cases, 9 retinas remained attached for a follow-up period ranging from 1 to 15 years. One patient was lost to follow-up, and 5 years later developed retinal detachment in one eye from a new non-lasered lesion. In conclusion, in this particular family the incidence of retinal detachment was significantly higher in non-lasered eyes than in lasered eyes (p<0.025).
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Leiba, H., Oliver, M. & Pollack, A. Prophylactic laser photocoagulation in stickler syndrome. Eye 10, 701–708 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.1996.164
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/eye.1996.164