Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate features of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) of eyes before and after epiretinal membrane surgery and correlate these with visual outcomes.
Methods: :
Preoperative and postoperative SD-OCT images were analyzed and visual acuities were collected in all patients who underwent surgery for idiopathic epiretinal membranes from September 2006 to September 2009 at our institution. SD-OCT features analyzed were internal limiting membrane (ILM) profile (normal ILM or ILM distortion), integrity of the external limiting membrane (ELM) (normal ELM line or ELM line disruption), integrity of the inner segment and outer segment junction (IS/OS) (normal IS/OS line or IS/OS line disruption), and foveal contour (normal foveal contour or loss of foveal contour with or without intraretinal edema).
Results: :
There were 26 surgeries performed on 26 patients (12 male, 14 female). Mean age was 65 years (range=49-80 years; SD=8.4 years). At postoperative month 3, 88.5% (23/26) of eyes had an improvement in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) while the remaining 3 patients had no change in visual acuity. The baseline ILM profile and foveal contour had no significant influence on BCVA at 3 months (P>0.05) whereas the baseline integrity of the ELM (P=0.024) and IS/OS junction (P=0.016) significantly influenced BCVA at 3 months. Additionally, postoperative integrity of the ELM (P=0.018), IS/OS junction (P=0.018), and foveal contour (P=0.010) significantly influenced BCVA at 3 months.
Conclusions: :
Preoperative integrity of the ELM and IS/OS junction may be prognostic factors for visual outcomes after epiretinal membrane surgery. Furthermore, evaluating the ELM, IS/OS junction, and foveal contour postoperatively may help to explain poor visual recovery.
Keywords: imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound) • imaging/image analysis: clinical • vitreoretinal surgery