Visual field improvement after treatment of optic disk pit maculopathy with the macular buckling procedure

To evaluate visual field changes in 18 of 21 patients with unilateral optic disk pit maculopathy who were successfully treated with the macular buckling procedure.

In this prospective study, visual field examination with the Humphrey analyzer (programs 30-2 and 10-2) was recorded before treatment, repeated 1 month after the operation, and repeated every 6 months thereafter. All 18 patients were treated with the macular buckling procedure. The operation consisted of fixation of a silastic sponge explant at the posterior pole corresponding to the macula.

In 18 eyes included in the study and successfully treated, an improvement in visual field indices was recorded. The mean deviation improved from -7.75+/-3.15 (program 30-2) and -10.19+/-3.66 (program 10-2) decibels before surgery to -6.25+/-2.61 (P<0.0001) and -8.56+/-3.13 (P<0.0001) decibels at the last examination, respectively. No additional visual field defect was induced in any of the 18 eyes after treatment. Also, the majority of the eyes (16/18) gained from 1 to 7 Snellen lines of visual acuity (P<0.0001).

Improvement of central and peripheral visual field (within 30 degrees of fixation) was recorded after the treatment of optic disk pit maculopathy with the macular buckling procedure. This technique seems to be effective for treatment of the disease with good anatomic and functional results.