Abstract: Background: Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is one of the most important complications following vitreoretinal surgery. So far, surgical strategies have been the gold standard in treatment. Pharmacol. approaches for prevention and treatment of PVR are under clin. investigation and intervene in different phases of the PVR cascade. Methods: The relevant literature as well as own data and experience with PVR are discussed in this review article. The most important aspects of pharmacol. approaches for PVR prophylaxis and treatment are explained. Results: A prophylactic use of systemic prednisone administration as an anti-inflammatory substance showed contradictory results, while there was no addnl. benefit for intravitreal triamcinolone. Orally administered isotretinoin also seems to be able to minimize the formation of PVR after retinal reattachment surgery, whereas there was no improvement in the success rate in established PVR. Cell proliferation inhibitors have already been extensively studied. The combined intravitreal prophylactic approach of 5-fluorouracil and low mol. weight heparin was recently further investigated in a multicenter, placebo-controlled study and showed a pos. effect in some studies. New preclin. and exptl. approaches include the inhibition of growth factors, modulation of integrin activity and the induction of apoptosis. Conclusion: Most clin. studies dealt with an anti-inflammatory or antiproliferative approach. So far, no pharmacol. substance has been established for the treatment of PVR but there are promising approaches for prophylaxis.