Chemical Analysis of Subretinal Fluid in Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

ABSTRACT

A chemical analysis of subretinal fluid was made in 15 patients (16 eyes) who had undergone retinal detachment surgery from March 1, 1991 to July 31, 1991 at St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University Medical College. The protein concentration of subretinal fluid ranged from 1.0gm/dl to 7.1gm/dl, and the average protein concentration of subretinal fluid of retinal detachment for 90 days or more showed 5.13 +/- 1.71gm/dl and that of subretinal fluid of retinal detachment for less than 90 days was 2.06 +/- 1.29gm/dl. This revealed increasing tendency of protein concentration in proportion to the duration of detachment (p<.05), and the protein concentration of subretinal fluid did not show any differences according to the size of retinal detachment. Sugar ranged from 32mg/dl to 96mg/dl, and chloride was from 92mEq/L to 126mEq/L. From this study, we found that the protein concentration of subretinal fluid increased in proportion to the duration of retinal detachment. On the contrary, sugar and chloride concentration was not related to the duration of retinal detachment.