Abstract
Purpose: :
To quantify metamorphopsia in patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM), and to investigate the relationship between the severity of metamorphopsia and the foveal microstructure by spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
Methods: :
This study included 53 eyes of 53 patients with idiopathic ERM and age-matched 18 normal controls. We examined the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution best-corrected visual acuity (logMAR BCVA) and the severity of metamorphopsia with M-CHARTS® and SD-OCT. Central foveal thickness (CFT), central retinal thickness at the fovea (CRT 1mm) and parafovea (CRT 3mm) and macular volume (MV) were measured with SD-OCT software. Based on the obtained OCT image, we divided the 0.5mm x 0.5mm area centered around the fovea into 9 sections and quantified the following parameters using an image-processing program: mean thickness of the ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner nuclear layer (INL) and outer retinal layer (ONL+OPL: outer nuclear layer and outer plexiform layer), the degree of the photoreceptor inner and outer segment junction (IS/OS) and external limiting membrane (ELM) disruption.
Results: :
CFT, CRT 1mm, CRT 3mm, MV, mean GCL, INL and ONL+OPL thickness were significantly larger in patients with ERM than in normal controls. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the severity of metamorphopsia was significantly related to the mean INL thickness (p < 0.0001). LogMAR BCVA had a significant correlation with the degree of ELM disruption (p = 0.007), whereas other parameters were not relevant.
Conclusions: :
Metamorphopsia was associated with the INL thickness, and visual acuity was associated with ELM in patients with idiopathic ERM.
Keywords: retina • imaging/image analysis: clinical