Peeling and aspiration of elschnig pearls! An effective alternative to Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy

• Published in: Indian journal of ophthalmology Vol. 61; no. 9; pp. 518 - 520
• Main Authors: Bhargava, Rahul, Kumar, Prachi, Sharma, Shiv K, Sharma, Sumat, Mehra, Namrata, Mishra, Anuraag
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd 01.09.2013; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Allergic eye disease; Anterior chamber maintainer; Anti-VEGF injections; best corrected visual acuity; bevacizumab; Brief Communications; Care and treatment; Cataract Extraction - methods; Central serous chorioretinopathy; Chemotherapy; choroidal neovascular membrane; Configuration; Descemet membrane; Emergency department; epidural steroid; Equipment Design; Eye; Female; focal treatment; Follow-Up Studies; foveal slope; foveal thickness; Humans; Intraocular lenses; keratoplasty; Lasers, Solid-State - therapeutic use; Lens Capsule, Crystalline - surgery; macular pigment; Male; Middle Aged; needle; neodymium yttrium aluminium garnet laser; neovascular age-related macular degeneration; ocular; ocular injury; Ocular trauma; ocular visco-surgical device; open globe injury; optical coherence tomography; papillae; posterior capsule opacification; preoperative (initial) visual acuity; prognostic factors; ranibizumab; relative afferent pupillary defect; retinal pigment epithelium detachment; retinal pigment epithelium tear; retinoblastoma; Retrospective Studies; Self-inflicted; shield ulcer; Stein-Leventhal syndrome; submacular hemorrhage; Suction - instrumentation; Surgery; Time Factors; trauma; vernal keratoconjunctivitis; Visual Acuity; work related injuries
• ISSN: 0301-4738; 1998-3689
• DOI: 10.4103/0301-4738.119449

To evaluate the efficacy of peeling and aspiration of Elschnig pearls. Retrospective study in a medical college hospital. Records of 217 eyes which underwent surgical peeling and aspiration for membranous PCO between 2006 and 2009, was reviewed. Peeling and aspiration was fashioned with a blunt tipped 20G cannula after stabilizing anterior chamber with anterior chamber maintainer. Post-operative vision and complications were analyzed. Mc Nemar and Chi square tests. The mean age was 56.84 years. 85.71% patients achieved best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/20 at 3 m. Recurrence of pearls, uveitis and cystoid macular edema were the most common causes of reduced vision. Peeling and aspiration of pearls seem to be a viable alternative to Neodymium yttrium garner aluminium (Nd: YAG) laser capsulotomy for membranous PCO.