Temporal changes in foveal contour after macular hole surgery

Outcome of Full-Thickness Macular Hole Surgery in Choroideremia

The development of a macular hole is relatively common in retinal dystrophies eligible for gene therapy such as choroideremia. However, the subretinal delivery of gene therapy requires an uninterrupted retina to allow dispersion of the viral vector. A macular hole may thus hinder effective gene therapy. Little is known about the outcome of macular hole surgery and its possible beneficial and/or adverse effects on retinal function in patients with choroideremia. We describe a case of a unilateral full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) in a 45year-old choroideremia patient (c.1349_1349+2dup mutation in CHM gene) and its management. Pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling and 20% SF₆ gas tamponade was performed, and subsequent FTMH closure was confirmed at 4 weeks, 3 months and 5 months postoperatively. No postoperative adverse events occurred, and fixation stability improved on microperimetry from respectively 11% and 44% of fixation points located within a 1° and 2° radius, preoperatively, to 94% and 100% postoperatively. This case underlines that pars plana vitrectomy with ILM peeling and gas tamponade can successfully close a FTMH in choroideremia patients, with subsequent structural and functional improvement. Macular hole closure may be important for patients to be eligible for future submacular gene therapy.

Extent of Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling and its Impact on Macular Hole Surgery Outcomes: A Randomized Trial

PURPOSE

To identify whether and how outcomes of macular hole (MH) surgery are influenced by the extent of internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling.

DESIGN

Randomized clinical trial.

METHODS

This study involved 65 eyes from 65 patients who underwent surgery for idiopathic MH. ILM was peeled with a radius of either 0.75 disc diameter (small-extent group, SEG) or 1.5 disc diameter (large-extent group, LEG), according to the randomization. Anatomic success, visual acuity, and metamorphopsia score (M-score) were measured at 2- and 6-month postoperative visits. The distance between the foveal center and the parafoveal edge of the outer plexiform layer on optical coherence tomography was measured in 4 directions, and further distance increases in certain directions were defined as asymmetric elongation of foveal tissue.

RESULTS

Complete closure of the MH was observed after initial operation in 97.0% of eyes in both groups. The mean visual improvement at 6 months after surgery was 20.4 ± 12.8 and 19.1 ± 10.8 ETDRS letters in SEG and LEG, respectively (P = .452). The mean amount of improvement in M-score was 0.26 ± 0.55 in SEG and 0.50 ± 0.53 in LEG (P = .039). There was a difference in the mean degree of asymmetric elongation between the 2 groups (22.5% ± 10.8% in SEG vs 13.4% ± 5.8% in LEG, P = .001). And there was inverse correlation between the mean degree of asymmetric elongation and the amount of improvement in M-score at 6 months postoperatively (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Larger extent of ILM peeling during MH surgery is beneficial with respect to reduction of metamorphopsia, alleviating asymmetric elongation of foveal tissue.

Asymmetrical steepening of the foveal contour after macular hole surgery with internal limiting membrane peeling

PURPOSE

We have previously shown that the thickness of the parafoveal retina was asymmetrical in spectral-domain optical coherence tomographic (SD-OCT) images after idiopathic macular hole (MH) closure by pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. The aim of this study was to determine whether the foveal slopes around the closed MH were also asymmetrical.

METHODS

Forty-three eyes with an MH treated with PPV with ILM peeling at Matsumoto Dental University Hospital were studied. The foveal slope was determined with ImageJ software in both the horizontal and vertical images obtained by SD-OCT at 6 months after the surgery. The possible related factors were also compared.

RESULTS

The mean angles of the foveal slopes of the nasal, superior, inferior, and temporal sectors were 31.4° ± 6.2°, 31.2° ± 5.4°, 31.6° ± 7.4°, and 29.9° ± 6.6°, respectively, in the fellow eyes. The corresponding values in the operated eyes were significantly steeper at 50.4° ± 9.1°, 46.9° ± 11.3°, 48.6° ± 11.3°, and 41.3° ± 11.2°, respectively (P < 0.00001). Both the nasal and inferior slopes were significantly steeper than the temporal slopes of the same operated eye (P = 0.002 and P = 0.023, respectively). There was no significant correlation between each slope and the visual acuity, MH size, area of peeled ILM, postoperative parafoveal retinal thickness, defect of the retinal outer layers, disc-foveal distance, stage, and use of dye for ILM peeling.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the postoperative foveal contour was markedly changed asymmetrically, the significance of the change was not determined.