AIM: To evaluate the clinical factors related to chronic rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD). METHODS: A retrospective case-control study. A total of 103 consecutive patients (103 eyes) with primary RRD were studied to evaluate the clinical factors related to chronic RRD. RESULTS: Chi-square test was used to sift out the following associated factors with chronic RRD: younger patients (P=0.0028), better preoperative best corrected visual acuity (BCVA, P=0.0316), atrophic retinal break (P<0.0001), inferior retinal break (P<0.0001), smaller break (P=0.0005); then the independent risk factors related to chronic RRD was determined by stepwise logistic regression analysis as following: atrophic retinal break (odds ratio (OR)=7.997, P=0.007), inferior retinal break (OR=14.127, P<0.0001) and better preoperative BCVA (OR=1.636 P<0.0722) . CONCLUSION: Atrophic retinal break, inferior retinal break and better preoperative BCVA are the independent risk factors related to chronic RRD.