Submacular Hemorrhage After Diabetic Vitrectomy

Subretinal blood may be observed in various conditions, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV), high myopia, arterial macroaneurysms, choroiditis, trauma, and Valsalva’s retinopathy (Berrocal et al., Am J Ophthalmol 122(4):486–93, 1996). Subretinal blood may occur in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) (Morse et al., Retina 17(2):87–93, 1997). It is usually associated with tractional retinal detachment (TRD) or combined RD. It is located in the dependent part and is often unsuspected; it only shifts to the posterior pole to manifest during surgery. If not removed, it may be toxic to photoreceptors and adversely affect visual function (Glatt and Machemer, Am J Ophthalmol 94(6):762–73, 1982; Toth et al., Arch Ophthalmol 109(5):723–9, 1991). Few reports have focused on postoperative submacular blood in PDR patients (Morse et al., Retina 17(2):87–93, 1997). The significance and management of this complication will be discussed in this chapter.