Primary Laser Photocoagulation for Giant Retinal Tears Without Retinal Detachment: Two Case Reports and Review of the Literature

Giant retinal tears are full-thickness retinal breaks extending 90° or more circumferentially and are typically associated with a high risk of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Surgical intervention remains the standard treatment in most cases. We report two cases of giant retinal tears without retinal detachment treated with primary argon laser photocoagulation. A 56-year-old man presented with a superotemporal retinal tear in the left eye extending from 12 to 4 o'clock, while a 56-year-old woman presented with a temporal retinal tear in the right eye extending from 7 to 11 o'clock. In both cases, the retina remained attached, with no subretinal fluid or macular involvement. Treatment consisted of barrier laser photocoagulation around the tear combined with 360° peripheral laser cerclage and prophylactic laser treatment of the fellow eye. At 12 and 18 months of follow-up, respectively, both patients maintained a best-corrected visual acuity with stable retinal attachment, well-formed laser scars, and no evidence of proliferative vitreoretinopathy or other complications. To our knowledge, this is among the few reported cases of GRT without retinal detachment successfully managed with laser photocoagulation alone combined with 360° peripheral laser cerclage.