Abstract
Purpose :
Epiretinal membranes (ERMs) are characterized by myofibroblastic cell proliferation on the retina's inner surface, and can significantly impair vision. This study focuses on the correlation between inner retinal layer changes and visual acuity in idiopathic ERM patients, emphasizing the importance of these layers in disease understanding and management.
Methods :
The study was a retrospective, cross-sectional, observational analysis at Hospital Conde de Valenciana, Mexico City, analyzing idiopathic ERM patients from January 2018 to January 2021. Ophthalmologic evaluations included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurement and Spectralis OCT (Heidelberg Engineering). Biomarkers like disorganization of retinal inner layers (DRIL), ectopic inner foveal layers, Govetto's classification, and inner retinal irregularity index were analyzed and correlated with BCVA. Parameters were measured using Fiji software (ImageJ). P values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results :
The study included 59 patients (39 women and 20 men) with an average age of 68.66. The average BCVA was 0.29 LogMAR (20/40 Snellen). Comorbidities included diabetes (18 patients) and hypertension (33 patients). Regarding the statistical significance between logMAR and DRIL, the p-value from the ANOVA test is <0.001. The Pearson correlation showed a coefficient of 0.488 and p = <0.001, suggesting a moderate positive correlation. Regression analysis showed an R-square value of 0.238. Independent Samples T-test, comparing logMAR values between eyes with and without ectopic inner foveal layers, revealed a significant difference (p = 0.0257). The Point-Biserial Correlation Coefficient showed a moderate positive correlation (CC: 0.325, p-value: 0.0121). Pearson correlation coefficient between LogMAR and Govetto's classification is approximately 0.34, with a p = 0.0084, suggesting a modest positive correlation. The ANOVA test yielded an F-statistic of 3.65 and a p = 0.018. Tukey's HSD test analysis showed that the only significant difference is between the Govetto classifications 1 and 4. Inner Retinal Irregularity Index showed a weak linear relationship with LogMAR (R-squared = 0.076, P = 0.0349).
Conclusions :
This study highlights the significance of inner retinal biomarkers in patients with idiopathic ERM, showing their substantial correlation with visual acuity.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.