Effect of oral 13-cis-retinoic acid treatment on postoperative clinical outcome of eyes with proliferative vitreoretinopathy

PURPOSE: To determine whether postoperative oral 13-cis-retinoic acid (RA) treatment could improve the outcome of vitreoretinal surgery with silicone oil for the management of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). DESIGN: Prospective controlled randomized interventional case series. METHODS: This study included 35 eyes of 35 patients with primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and PVR. All patients underwent surgical repair by similar procedures. The RA group consisted of 16 patients who received 10 mg oral RA twice daily for eight weeks postoperatively. The control group included 19 patients without taking RA. The outcome measure included the rate of retinal attachment, macular pucker formation, ambulatory vision, and RA-related side effects. RESULTS: At last follow,up (at least one year postoperatively), 15 of 1.6 eyes (93.8%,) in the RA group and 12 of 19 eyes (63.21'%) in the control group maintained retinal attachment (P = .047). The rate of macular pucker formation was significantly lower in the RA group (18.8% vs 78.9% in the control group; P = .001). A higher rate of ambulatory vision was achieved in the RA group as compared to the control group (56.3% vs 10.5%); P = .009). CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative administration with oral moderate dosage of RA for eight weeks appears to maintain retinal attachment, decrease the macular pucker, and improve vision after Surgical repair for eyes with PVR.