endoscope-assisted vitrectomy in the management of retinal detachment with corneal opacity

A 51-year-old male who had suffered from right eye rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with proliferative vitreoretinopathy received surgical treatments which included the following procedures: lens extraction, scleral buckle, vitrectomy, membrane peeling, photocoagulation, and silicone oil injection. The presenting visual acuity of the right eye was light perception. Slit-lamp examination revealed corneal opacity without a visible fundus. B-scan ultrasonography revealed retinal detachment. Endoscope-assisted vitrectomy was then performed in December 2014. The procedure also included photocoagulation and silicone oil tamponade. Postoperative follow-up confirmed retinal attachment through B-scan ultrasonography. To assess the feasibility of a penetrating keratoplasty, an endoscopic evaluation was performed in May 2015. A temporal retinal break was noted, and photocoagulation was applied around the break as well as the peripheral retina. Endoscopy later confirmed the retinal attachment. From the present case, we concluded that endoscope-assisted vitrectomy could be an option for patients with corneal opacity indicated for vitreoretinal surgery. We report the first case of endoscope-assisted vitrectomy in the management of retinal detachment in Taiwan.