Proliferative Vitreoretinopathie-Prozess – „To heal or not to heal“

Background: Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is still an unsolved problem after half a century of research. Methods: This article provides a review of mechanisms leading to PVR in the context of wound healing research. Results: Wound healing is a physiological repair process that occurs in a similar way in all organs and may end in scar formation. The development of PVR is based on this wound healing mechanism. The localization and structures involved lead to specific characteristics and consequences. Up to now the pharmacotherapeutic strategies were not sufficiently effective. The growing understanding of the mechanisms of scar-free fetal wound healing, could however lead to a solution of the PVR problem. Conclusion: The PVR is a physiological process with a pathological result. The complex steps involved in vitreoretinal wound healing are well understood. There is currently no therapeutic approach neither in ophthalmology nor in other medical disciplines that is able to restore the original function and structure of the involved tissue or organ but there is hope that this can succeed in the future.