Abstract
Purpose:
To investigate possible prognostic value of preoperative individual retinal layer thickness measured by spectral domain optical coherence tomography and visual acuity or improvement after epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgery.<br />
Methods:
Data from 76 eyes with idiopathic ERM that underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for idiopathic ERM removal were analyzed. The preoperative thicknesses of the ganglion cell layer (GC), inner plexiform layer (IPL), and (other) layers were measured using the Iowa Reference Algorithm. Each retinal layer thickness and the ratio of total central foveal thickness (CFT) to its thickness to were compared between eyes with 2 or more Snellen lines of visual improvement (group 1) and eyes with less than 2 Snellen lines of improvement (group 2) after surgery
Results:
Higher mean CFT/GCL ratio and symptom duration of one year or less were significantly more common in Group 1 (p=0.03,0.04 respectively) . After adjusting for age and symptom duration, only a higher CFT/GCL ratio remained associated with 2 or more lines of visual improvement after surgery (OR: 7.98, CI: 1.07-59.75).
Conclusions:
The preoperative inner retinal layer changes may have a role independent of outer retinal layer parameters in the visual prognosis after ERM peeling.