The following is a summary of “Visualization of preretinal membranes using trypan blue in patients with traction retinal detachments,” published in the June 2023 issue of Opthalmology by Shah et al.

Due to difficulties delineating fibroglial membranes from the retinal surface, surgical repair of complex tractional retinal detachments (TRDs) is challenging.

In a group of 17 patients, the causes of tractional retinal detachments (TRDs) were diverse, including proliferative diabetic retinopathy, endophthalmitis complications, open globe injury, and neovascularization from retinal vein occlusion. Before surgery, the average best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 1.7 ± 1.7 logMAR (Snellen equivalent: 20/1000), while the latest follow-up visit showed an average postoperative BCVA of 1.4 ± 1.2 logMAR (Snellen equivalent: 20/500). Trypan blue (TB) dye successfully identified proliferative preretinal membranes in all patients without residual staining or adverse reactions in the posterior segment. At the 3-month and 6-month postoperative visits, 88% (15 out of 17) and 76% (13 out of 17) of retinas were successfully reattached, respectively.

Study concluded that TB is a valuable adjunct for visualizing and removing fibrous proliferative epiretinal membranes in complex TRDs.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0008418223001746