Association of Cutaneous Keloids, Hypertrophic Scarring, and Fibrosis with Risk of Post-operative Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy

PurposeTo assess an association between cutaneous keloids, hypertrophic scarring, and fibrosis (KHF) with risk of post-operative proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair.DesignRetrospective population-based cohort studyParticipantsPatients ≥ 18 years who underwent initial RD repair with pars plana vitrectomy with or without scleral buckle (SB) (Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) 67108), pneumatic retinopexy (67110), and primary SB (67107) from January 1, 2003 – March 1, 2023.MethodsA de-identified electronic health record database through TriNetX, a global health research network, was used to analyze patients. Patients were queried for International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes L91.0 (hypertrophic scar) and L90.5 (scar conditions and fibrosis of skin). Frequency of subsequent diagnosis of PVR (H35.2), and CPT codes for secondary surgery including complex RD repair (67113) was determined. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) (ICD-10 H10.35/H11.35) patients were excluded. Descriptive statistics (Z-test) and propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match for age, sex, and race.Main outcome measuresPrevalence of H35.2 and CPT 67113 within 180 days after RRD repair in KHF cohort versus non-KHF cohort.ResultsAmong patients with CPT 67108, 1,061 patients in each cohort (KHF and non-KHF) were analyzed after PSM. The mean (SD) age was 60.7 (15.2) years. Within 180 days, 10.1% of patients in the KHF cohort and 3.4% in the non-KHF cohort had a diagnosis of PVR (H35.2) (p=0.00, OR 3.2; 95% CI, 2.13-4.71). 8.3% of patients in the KHF cohort and 5.4% of patients in the non-KHF cohort underwent complex RD repair (CPT 67113) (p=0.008; OR 3.2; 95% CI, 1.13-2.25). When including all RD repair types (CPT 67108, 67110, 67107), the rate of PVR diagnosis was still significantly greater in the KHF vs non-KHF cohort (9.0% vs 4.2%, p < 0.01; OR 2.28 (1.64-3.16).ConclusionA dermatologic history of keloids, hypertrophic scarring, or fibrosis may be a risk factor for proliferative vitreoretinopathy after retinal detachment repair.