Improvement of visual acuity one-year after vitreous surgery in eyes with residual triamcinolone acetonide at the macular hole

DEVELOPMENT OF MACULAR ATROPHY AFTER PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY FOR MYOPIC TRACTION MACULOPATHY AND MACULAR HOLE RETINAL DETACHMENT IN PATHOLOGIC MYOPIA

PURPOSE

To determine the incidence and long-term outcome of macular atrophy (MA) after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) in pathologic myopia.

METHODS

Highly myopic patients who underwent PPV for myopic traction maculopathy and macular hole retinal detachment at Tokyo Medical and Dental University between 2012 and 2016 were studied. Fundus photographs and/or optical coherence tomography were examined before and after PPV at every visit.

RESULTS

A total of 133 eyes were followed for 39 months with the mean age of 62.8 years and the mean axial length of 30.0 mm. Postoperatively, 14 eyes (10.5%) developed fovea-centered MA, observed initially as a small, isolated, whitish lesion at the center of fovea at 3.5 months after PPV. The appearance of the MA was distinctly different from the choroidal neovascularization-related MA or patchy atrophy-related MA. With time, the lesions enlarged circumferentially. In these 14 eyes, the final best-corrected visual acuity was worse than the baseline, although the difference was not significant. The occurrence of MA was significantly associated with the preoperative foveal status.

CONCLUSION

The development of MA can occur in 11% of highly myopic eyes after PPV for myopic traction maculopathy and macular hole retinal detachment. This postoperative MA might be a new complication of pathologic myopia.

Vital Dyes in Vitreomacular Surgery

Vital dyes contain complex molecules with chromophores that stain living tissues and have greatly enhanced identification and removal of transparent vitreoretinal tissues during surgery. Several "chromovitrectomy" dyes are frequently used by vitreoretinal specialists, including indocyanine green, trypan blue, brilliant blue G, and triamcinolone acetonide; other dyes are also under investigation. Trypan Blue was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for epiretinal membrane removal, and preservative-free triamcinolone acetonide was approved by the FDA for intraocular use. However, currently available chromovitrectomy dyes have their limitations, and of particular concern for some of them is the possibility for acute and chronic toxicity to the neurosensory retina and retinal pigmented epithelium. The potentially irreversible acute toxicity and other limitations, such as lack of long-term safety profiles, highlight the need for further advancements. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2018;49:788-798.].

A Review of Surgical Outcomes and Advances for Macular Holes

The surgical outcomes of macular holes (MHs) have improved greatly in recent years. The closure rate is as high as 90-100%, but the outcomes of some special types of MHs remain unsatisfactory. Internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling dramatically improves the anatomic success rate, but recent studies have found that it could also cause mechanical and subclinical traumatic changes to the retina. Dyes are widely used, and apart from indocyanine green (ICG), the toxicities of other dyes require further research. Face-down posturing is necessary for MHs larger than 400 μm, and the duration of this posture is determined by the type of tamponade and the case. The ellipsoid zone has been shown to be highly correlated with visual outcome and recovery. New surgical methods include the inverted ILM flap technique and the ILM abrasion technique. However, they require further research to determine their effectiveness.

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment due to a macular hole in a patient with pars planitis: a case report

We report a rare case of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment due to a full-thickness macular hole in a young patient with pars planitis. This study was an interventional case report. A 38-year-old Asian man presented with acute reduction of vision in his left eye. His past ocular history revealed a precedent of two intravitreal steroid injections in his left eye, and fundoscopy revealed a total bullous retinal detachment along with 360° snowbanking at the pars plana. Precise preoperative visualization of the posterior pole was impossible due to a dense nuclear cataract. During surgery, an unexpected full-thickness macular hole with no associated epiretinal membrane was observed, which resulted in the retinal detachment. This case of chronic pars planitis complicated with a full-thickness macular hole resulting in retinal detachment was successfully treated with vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peeling, and perfluoropropane tamponade. Visual acuity improved from hand movements to 6/36 Snellen at 12 months postsurgery. This case report illustrates the rare but possible association between pars planitis with macular hole formation and subsequent retinal detachment, underlying the beneficiary outcome of vitrectomy surgery both diagnostically and therapeutically.

Diagnosis and treatment of myopic traction maculopathy

In recent years, the broad application of optical coherence tomography and vitrectomy, combined with research efforts in maculopathy in high myopia have provided many achievements, such as the new classification of myopic traction maculopathy (MTM). Here, we review the latest developments in the diagnosis and treatment of MTM, including its conception, clinical characteristics, pathogenesis, clinical stages, and the options for surgical treatment.

Use of triamcinolone during vitrectomy surgery to visualize membranes and vitreous

Triamcinolone is a corticosteroid that is used to treat many ophthalmic diseases. Recently, its use has been advocated to aid in visualization of transparent tissue in ophthalmic surgery. It can be used in anterior segment surgery to help manage vitreous loss during complicated cataract surgery. It has been used to visualize the posterior cortical vitreous during pars plana vitrectomy. In addition, it can be useful in the visualization and peeling of the internal limiting membrane. Triamcinolone has been advocated in surgical repair of proliferative vitreoretinopathy both for its visualizing properties and its anti-inflammatory properties. Overall, triamcinolone use in surgery is safe with low incidence of complications including elevated intraocular pressure, cataract and endophthalmitis.

Residual triamcinolone acetonide sequestered in the fovea after macular hole repair

PURPOSE

To report the macular hole closure rate and visual outcomes of patients with residual triamcinolone acetonide in the fovea after macular hole repair.

METHODS

We reviewed the medical records of consecutive patients who underwent macular hole surgery at our institution between 2005 and 2008. Only patients with visible triamcinolone in the fovea in the first postoperative month were included.

RESULTS

Six patients with Stage III or IV macular holes were included. All patients underwent pars plana vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peeling, and gas tamponade. Triamcinolone acetonide was used to visualize the vitreous in every patient, and diluted indocyanine green was used to stain the internal limiting membrane in five patients. The median preoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 20/200, which improved to a median of 20/40 at the last follow-up. Five patients eventually developed retinal pigment epithelial alterations. Anatomic hole closure was achieved in every patient. The mean follow-up was 23 months (range, 3-36 months).

CONCLUSION

Residual triamcinolone sequestered in the fovea after macular hole surgery did not affect hole closure or prevent improvement in visual acuity. It is unclear whether the retinal pigment epithelial alterations in our patients represent toxicity or are unrelated to the triamcinolone exposure.