Ultrastructural Studies of the Preretinal and Subretinal Membranes.

Kim, Tae Yon; Kwon, Oh Woong; Lee, Sung Chul

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 1989;30(2):225-233.
Published online February 1, 1989.

Ultrastructural Studies of the Preretinal and Subretinal Membranes.

Tae Yon Kim, Oh Woong Kwon, Sung Chul Lee

Department of Ophthalmology, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

망막내면과 외면에 발생한 증식성막의 형태에 관한 전자현미경적 연구

김태연(Tae Yon Kim),권오웅(Oh Woong Kwon),이성철(Sung Chul Lee)

Abstract

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy is an abnormality in which the rhegmatogenous retinal detachment is complicated by proliferation of membrane on both surfaces of the detached retina and on the posterior surface of the detached vitreous gel. The contraction of these membranes, causing distortion and further elevation of the retina, is the most important cause of failure in retinal reattachment surgery. The author studied the ultrastructural features of preretinal and subretinal membranes which were removed during vitreous surgery in four patients with proliferative vitreoretinopathy. The results were as follows: 1. In the four preretinal membranes, five morphologically distinguishable cell types-retinal pigment epithelial cells, fibrous astrocytes, macrophages, fibrocytes and myofibroblasts-were observed, and the extracellular matrix was composed of collagen fibrils measuring 15-25nm in diameter. 2. In one subretinal membrane, retinal pigment epithelial cells, fibrous astrocytes and macrophages were observed and the major cell type was the retinal pigment epithelial cell. The diameter of the extracellular collagen fibrils was almost the same as that of the preretinal membranes. 3. In the preretinal and subretinal membranes, some of the fibrocytes and macrophages were believed to be derived from retinal pigment epithelial cells.