Spontaneous closure of secondary full-thickness macular hole following pars plana vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment: a case report and literature review
Afeng Li, Shuaiwei Chen, Bo Jiang · 2026
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Description
Li and co-authors presented in 2026 the case of a 33-year-old man who healed without another operation. After surgery to repair a detached retina, his eye developed a full-thickness macular hole. That is a defect in the central retina. The team paired the case with a review of more than 30 published instances of spontaneous closure.
The man's hole sealed itself within three months while his vision improved. He was managed with anti-inflammatory eye drops and watchful waiting. The review found holes form when membranes on the retina's surface pull sideways. Swelling, surgical trauma, and inflammation worsen the pull, and high-altitude exposure is a surprising extra risk. Closure favors small holes, where retinal support tissue can bridge the gap as swelling resolves. That happens in roughly one in twenty to one in six cases. Patience can therefore precede surgery for quiet, small holes.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Afeng Li, Shuaiwei Chen, Bo Jiang |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 37 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |