Open AccessInner Retinal Layer and Outer Retinal Layer Findings after Macular Hole Surgery Assessed by means of Optical Coherence Tomography
Author(s) -
Maria Vittoria Cicinelli,
Alessandro Marchese,
Francesco Bandello,
Michele Coppola
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of ophthalmology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 2090-0058
pISSN - 2090-004X
DOI - 10.1155/2019/3821479
Subject(s) - medicine , retinal , optical coherence tomography , ophthalmology , macular hole , nerve fiber layer , macular edema , ganglion cell layer , retina , ganglion , optical coherence tomography angiography , visual acuity , optics , vitrectomy , anatomy , physics
Aim To summarize the spectrum of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA) features after full-thickness macular hole (MH) repair surgery.Methods A PubMed engine search was carried out using the terms “Macular Hole,” “Optical Coherence Tomography,” and “Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography.” All reports published in English up to October 2018, irrespective of their publication status, were included. Tomographic signs analyzed were divided according to the involved portion of the retina in “inner retinal layers” and “external retinal layers.” Despite predominantly involving the inner retinal layers, cystoid macular edema (CME) has been treated as a separate entity. Finally, report on vessel density (VD) changes and the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area modifications have been included.Results Different clinical findings can be observed on OCT of patients who underwent MH repair surgery. There is general consent that retinal thinning involving primarily the retinal nerve fiber layer and the ganglion cell layer takes place after surgery. In the postoperative period, the outermost retinal layers get progressively restored. Persistent defects in the ellipsoid zone or in the external limiting membrane correlate with worse postoperative visual outcome. OCTA has globally demonstrated that eyes after MH closure show a reduction in macular and paramacular VD and smaller FAZ areas, compared with control or fellow eyes.Conclusion Clinicians should be aware of the most common tomographic findings to properly manage each condition. In addition, significant advantages for the postoperative application of OCT and OCTA include noninvasiveness, rapid and simple execution, repeatability, and precise measurements.