Retinal phlebitis in the Irvine-Gass syndrome.

We reviewed the pathology records from January 1965 through July 1975 for aphakic eyes. After exclusion of unsuitable cases, ten eyes (nine patients) with cystoid macular edema and 142 eyes without cystoid macular edema were studied. Clinical ophthalmic records were available for five of the ten eyes with the Irvine-Gass syndrome. Histologic sections were examined, revealing a significant correlation between the Irvine-Gass syndrome and retinal phlebitis, which has not been reported previously, as well as cyclitis and vitritis. Anterior segment operative complications tended to be more prevalent in eyes with the Irvine-Gass syndrome than in those without the Irvine-Gass syndrome, although the assocation was not statistically significant (P less than .1). Retinal trypsin digestion showed the phlebitis to be distributed posteriorly within primary and secondary retinal veins, frequently occurring near points of bifurcation. The changes in permeability seen in the Irvine-Gass syndrome may be due to this retinal phlebitis and to a generalized inflammation-induced increase in capillary permeability. The case of the phlebitis is not known.