Abstract
Purpose::
To find the characteristic findings of macula on optical coherence tomography (OCT) associated with visual outcomes in idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) removal by pars planar vitrectomy.
Methods::
Fifty patients who took the vitrectomy for the idiopathic epiretinal membrane removal were followed up for more than three months. OCT images were taken by Stratus OCT before and after the operation. The characteristic findings of macula on OCT such as foveal thickness, foveal contour, cyst formation, foveal detachment and photoreceptor integrity were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively, and the relationship between the final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and the OCT features was analyzed.
Results::
The mean age of the patient was 63 and the mean follow up period was 5.2 months. 39 eyes showed the improvement of BCVA more than two lines on Snellen chart. 11 eyes showed stable BCVA and there was no patient with decreased postoperative visual acuity. Among various OCT features, postoperative loss of foveal contour (p= 0.036) and postoperative photoreceptor disruption (p=0.0002) were associated with poorer BCVA, while preoperative macular thickness (p=0.91), postoperative macular thickness (p= 0.26) and the difference between these two (p=0.46) did not influence the improvement of the BCVA.
Conclusions::
Foveal contour and photoreceptor integrity on OCT were associated with postoperative visual outcomes in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membranes.
Keywords: macula/fovea • retina • imaging methods (CT, FA, ICG, MRI, OCT, RTA, SLO, ultrasound)