Vitreous Inflammation in Standard and Heavy Silicone Oil

The inflammatory response after prolonged retinal detachment and after vitreoretinal surgery has its apex in the development of PVR that occurs when retinal cells are exposed to the inflammatory milieu in the humor vitreous. This situation is common in complicated retinal detachment, but is amplified after invasive surgery and by the use of intraocular tamponades that float over a subtle film of liquid where the inflammatory cytokines and growth factors reach the critical concentration over the inferior retina. Many authors have noted that the heavy tamponade are more prone to cause intraocular inflammation compared to standard silicone oil, especially if they remain for several months in the eye. The purpose of this study is to measure the vitreous concentration of some of the most important cytokines involved in the inflammatory vitreal response.