Abstract
Purpose:
To compare the macular pigment optical density (MPOD) of eyes after vitrectomy for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) with the MPOD of eyes without retinal disease.
Methods:
The MPOD of 15 eyes 3 months after vitrectomy with subretinal fluid drainage for RRD was measured and compared with the fellow eyes without any signs of retinal disease. None of subjects was under carotenoid supplementation. The MPOD was measured with Macular pigment screener (MPS II) from Elektron Technology.
Results:
Eyes after vitrectomy for RRD have significantly lower level of MPOD than the fellow eyes without retinal disease (0.563 ± 0.197 versus 0.704 ± 0.150, p = 0.0359, Student t test). There was no significant correlation between MPOD and visual acuity 3 months after surgery for RRD (p = 0.146, Pearson’s correlation coefficient) and no significant difference between MPOD of eyes with macular-off RRD and macular-on RRD (0.552 ± 0.224 versus 0.571 ± 0.190, p = 0.859, Student t test).
Conclusions:
Vitrectomy for RRD decreases MPOD maybe by drainage of subretinal fluid containing macular pigment, xanthophyll. But relation between loss of macular pigment and visual function remains unclear.