Purpose:
To evaluate the anatomical and functional outcome of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with internal limiting membrane peeling in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and vitreomacular traction (VMT) and macular hole (MH).
Methods:
Seven eyes (5 with VMT and 2 with a MH) were selected. All patients underwent 23 Gauge PPV with internal limiting membrane peeling. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measured with Snellen visual acuity chart and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT Spectralis, Heidelberg, Germany) central retinal thickness (CRT) were analyzed at baseline and at 1, 4 and 12 weeks after surgery. Student paired t-test was used for statistical analysis. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
At baseline mean BCVA was 0.089±0.12 and RT was 425± 114 micron. At 1 week follow-up only one patient showed improved BCVA and all had reduced CRT (2 MH eyes showed complete closure of the hole). At 4 weeks follow-up BCVA was 0.187±0.19 and CRT was 315±108 micron, the improvement in BCVA and reduction in CRT were statistically significant (p<0.01). At 12 week follow-up BCVA was 0.234±0.27 and CRT was 270±75micron, both results were statistically significant (p<0.01). During the follow-up period no complication due to the surgical procedure was observed.
Conclusions:
Data show marked improvement of anatomical and functional findings in all treated RP patients. Removing VMT may decrease the anatomical retinal disorganization of both inner and outer retinal layers, thus leading to a better performance of surviving receptive fields.
Keywords: retinal degenerations: hereditary • vitreoretinal surgery • macula/fovea