Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy after Eye Injuries: An Overexpression of Growth Factors and Cytokines Leading to a Retinal Keloid

Eye injury is a significant disabling worldwide health problem. Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is a common complication
that develops in up to 40–60% of patients with an open-globe injury. Our knowledge about the pathogenesis of PVR has improved
in the last decades. It seems that the introduction of immune cells into the vitreous, like in penetrating ocular trauma, triggers
the production of growth factors and cytokines that come in contact with intra-retinal cells, like M¨uller cells and RPE cells.
Growth factors and cytokines drive the cellular responses leading to PVR’s development. Knowledge of the pathobiological and
pathophysiological mechanisms involved in posttraumatic PVR is increasing the possibilities of management, and it is hoped that
in the future our treatment strategies will evolve, in particular adopting a multidrug approach, and become even more effective in
vision recovery.This paper reviews the current literature and clinical trial data on the pathogenesis of PVR and its correlation with
ocular trauma and describes the biochemical/molecular events that will be fundamental for the development of novel treatment
strategies.This literature review included PubMed articles published from 1979 through 2013. Only studies written in English were included.