Abstract
Purpose :
To observe prognostic factors for the recovery of visual function in patients undergoing vitrectomy for idiopathic epiretinal membranes (iERM) using an optical coherence tomographic (OCT)-based staging scheme.
Methods :
It is a retrospective study with 108 eyes from 106 patients. The authors examined best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), horizontal metamorphopsia (MH), vertical metamorphopsia (MV) and contrast sensitivity (CS) before and after surgery. An OCT-based staging scheme classified iERM into 4 stages.
Results :
Preoperative classification was as follows: none of Stage 1, 41 eyes with Stage 2, 35 eyes with Stage 3 and 32 eyes with Stage 4. The BCVA, CMT and CS improved significantly from 6 months after surgery in three stages (all P<0.05). Both MH and MV were improved significantly after surgery in stage 2 and 3 (both P<0.05). In stage 2, the final BCVA was significantly correlated with the postoperative MH (P<0.05). The preoperative and postoperative average metamorphopsia score was significantly correlated with the preoperative CMT in stage 2 (both P< 0.05).
Conclusions :
This staging scheme can serve as a new method to predict the postoperative recovery of visual function. Surgery should be considered before aggravation of iERM.
This abstract was presented at the 2019 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Vancouver, Canada, April 28 - May 2, 2019.