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Arch Ophthalmol. 2003;121:903-904.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Small peripheral detachments of the Descemet membrane commonly occur during intraocular surgery. However, extensive clinically significant stripping of the membrane is rare, and the exact pathogenesis is unclear. Bilateral detachments have been described leading to speculation that there may be an anatomic predisposition for this infrequent complication. We report a case of bilateral Descemet membrane detachment with documented preoperative abnormalities of the corneal endothelium.

Report of a Case

On postoperative day 2 after phacoemulsification froma superior approach with intraocular lens (IOL) insertion, an 83-year-old woman was referred to the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn) for evaluation of corneal edema due to a Descemet membrane detachment that was noticed intraoperatively. She was treated with 20% sulfur hexafluoride gas tamponade in the anterior chamber on postoperative day 11 and was instructed to remain in an upright position. The detachment resolved, and her visual acuity returned to 20/25 in the affected eye. Endothelial specular photomicrographs were obtained of . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Comment
Corresponding author: Keith H. Baratz, MD, Department of Ophthalmology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (e-mail: baratz.keith@mayo.edu).