Abstract
Purpose::
to compare reading ability (MNRead) and macular sensitivity (microperimetry) in patients with macular hole and epiretinal membrane enrolled for pars-plana vitrectomy with peeling of inner limiting membrane (ILM).
Methods::
Thirty-six patients with a follow up of almost 12 months were included. Twenty-eight eyes were macular puckers, eight were idiopathic macular holes. Pars-plana vitrectomy with peeling of ILM membrane was performed. Preoperative and follow up examination consisted of complete clinical examination including visual acuity (ETDRS charts), contrast sensitivity (Pelli-Robson charts), reading acuity (RA), critical print size and maximum reading speed (RS) (MNRead charts), optical coherence tomography (OCT III Carl Zeiss) and microperimetry (Nidek MP-1).
Results::
There were 28 eyes with macular pucker and 8 eyes with macular hole. Mean logMAR visual acuity was 0.30 and 0.41 respectively. Mean logRS was 2.19 and 2.24, mean RA was 0.34 and 0.41 logMAR and mean microperimetric sensitivity was 15.8 and 17.9 db, respectively.Reading acuity was correlated with reading speed (r=0.61, p<0.001). The correlation of reading acuity was higher with visual acuity (r=0.55, p=0.001) than with mean microperimetric sensitivity (r= -0.31, p=0.058). The correlation of reading speed with psychophysical measures was low. It was slightly higher with mean microperimetric sensitivity (r=0.29, p=0.08) than with visual acuity (r=-0.25, p=0.15). The correlation with fixation stability was low both for reading acuity and speed (r= -0.08, p=0.657 and r=-0.09, p= 0.594 respectively), which was probably due to the fact that most patients had maximum values. Increasing age was correlated with lower reading acuity (r= 0.39, p=0.017) but not with reading speed (r= -0.11, p=0.523).Using multivariate repeated measure regression, RA was only associated with visual acuity and increased by 0.51 logMAR for each 1 unit of visual acuity. Reading speed showed no association with visual acuity (p= 0.147) but showed a borderline association with microperimetric sensitivity (0.37 logMAR for 10db, p=0.075) and with diagnosis (higher RS by 0.056 logWPM for macular holes, p=0.046).
Conclusions::
Retinal sensitivity as assessed with MP1 microperimetry is associated with reading speed more than visual acuity is. It could be a useful tool for monitoring preoperative visual function in macular disease for which surgery has been planned.
Keywords: reading • perimetry • vitreoretinal surgery