Retinal Detachment with Atopic Dermatitis Similar to Traumatic Retinal Detachment

Abstract

The cause of retinal detachment (RD) with atopic dermatitis remains uncertain. The purpose of this study is to show that the probable cause of RD with atopic dermatitis is ocular contusion. The authors retrospectively compared the fundus findings of 24 eyes (16 patients) that had RD and atopic dermatitis with 36 eyes (36 patients) that had traumatic RD. The authors found similar characteristics. Retinal breaks at vitreous base borders characterized by ocular contusion occurred in 79.2% of eyes with RD and atopic dermatitis and in 75.0% of eyes with traumatic RD. Irregular retinal traumatic breaks in the equatorial zone occurred in 20.8% of eyes with RD and atopic dermatitis and in 47.2% of eyes with traumatic RD. Objective signs of ocular contusion outside the retina appeared in 54.2% of eyes with RD and atopic dermatitis. The authors' data support the conclusion that self-inflected ocular contusion by tapping the eyes can cause RD with atopic dermatitis.