Purpose: A case of congenital epiretinal membrane associated with retinitis pigmentosa is reported.
Patient: A 30 year old man with retinitis pigmentosa was operated for a vitreomacular traction syndrome. The epiretinal membrane removed during surgical procedure was analyzed in electronic microscopy.
Results: Visual acuity, 6 months after the intervention: improve at 20/400, because of amblyopia. The study in electronic microscopy reveals many fibroblasts in an abundant collagenic tissue without glial cells.
Discussion: The observation of such an epiretinal membrane is unusual during retinitis pigmentosa. Its origin is probably congenital and the vitreous may play some role in its evolution. The systematic examination of the vitreoretinal interface represents an important element of the surveillance of retinitis pigmentosa.