Postoperative posterior retinal holes after pars plana vitrectomy for primary retinal detachment

Background: Although retinal breaks occur frequently during vitrectomy, the postoperative occurrence of new retinal holes close to the vascular arcade after vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment rarely has been reported. Methods: Three patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment were treated by vitrectomy. More than 49 days after vitrectomy, posterior retinal holes with no retinal detachment occurred halfway between the vascular arcade and the chorioretinal scar around the extrusion hole or the primary retinal tear. Results: These new holes were effectively managed with photocoagulation. Conclusion: New hole formation could be caused by the technique of the internal drainage, the contraction of the photocoagulation scar, or epiretinal membrane contraction. Another possibility is that new holes occur through two opposite tangential traction contractile forces: one induced by the contraction of the photocoagulation scar, the other caused by the contraction of the premacular cortical vitreous attached to the vascular arcade.