Role of daunorubicin in inhibiting proliferative vitreoretinopathy after retinal detachment surgery

Purpose : To study the role of daunorubicin in inhibiting pro-liferative vitreoretinopathy after retinal detachment surgery. Method: Thirty eyes of 30 patients with a primary rhegmato-genous retinal detachment and proliferative vitreoretin-opathy of stage D1 or more advanced were included in the study. The eyes were randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control group. The eyes in the experimental group received an intravitreal injection of dauno-rubicin (5 mug) before conclusion of the vitrectomy. The main outcome measures evaluated were: retinal attachment, vitreous activity and visual acuity at 3 months after surgery. Results: Complete retinal attachment was achieved in 13 eyes (86.6%) in the daunorubicin group and 10 eyes (66.6%) in the control group, at 3 months. Nine patients (60%) in the daunorubicin group and five patients (33.3%) in the control group had a best-corrected visual acuity of greater than or equal to3/60 at 3 months of follow up. There was a statistically significant reduction in vitreous reaction at all times during the postoperative period in the daunorubicin group. Conclusion: Daunorubicin may be a useful drug in inhibiting proliferative vitreoretinopathy after surgery for primary rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.