Pressure alopecia following vitreoretinal surgery

To describe a patient with pressure alopecia following vitreoretinal surgery. Case report. An 11-year-old boy underwent vitreoretinal surgery for left retinal detachment. One week postoperatively, his parents noticed a patch of alopecia where his head may have been in contact with the wrist-rest assembly placed around the head during the surgical procedure. Pressure alopecia on the parieto-occipital region of the scalp was observed. Hair regrowth occurred during the follow-up visits. Pressure alopecia is a rare complication of lengthy surgery and is underrecognized in ophthalmic practice. Precautions should be taken to avoid this preventable complication.