Photoreceptor cell death is the ultimate cause of irreversible vision loss in retinal detachment (RD). The present study aimed to investigate the retinal changes in a case of long-standing traumatic RD in a young patient. The RD-induced atrophic globe was examined following enucleation. A control eye acquired from a deceased donor (normal histology; age- and sex-matched) was evaluated correspondingly. Frozen sections of retina tissue were assessed by immunofluorescence staining. The atrophic retina demonstrated structural disruption along with reduction in the retinal outer nuclear layer/inner nuclear layer thickness ratio. Photoreceptor degeneration was noted with complete loss of the outer segment of short-wavelength sensitive (S) cones. In addition, Müller cell hypertrophy was observed across the retinal nuclear layers. These results indicate that RD without successful medical treatment may lead to retinal atrophy associated with disruption of retinal integrity, dramatic S cones loss and subretinal gliosis. Further clarifications of the mechanisms underlying photoreceptor cell death and glial cell reprogramming may facilitate the design of novel therapeutic strategies for RD.
Keywords: Müller cells hypertrophy; S cones; retinal detachment.