Optic coherence tomography of idiopathic macular epiretinal membranes

To study the characteristics of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in idiopathic macular epiretinal membranes (IMEM) and the relationship between the thickness of fovea and the vision of affected eyes.

A total of 67 cases (73 eyes) with clinical diagnosis of IMEM using direct, indirect ophthalmoscope, three mirror contact lens, fundus color photography or fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) were examined with OCT.

Epiretinal membranes (ERMs) with macular edema were found in 32 eyes, proliferative ERMs in 20 eyes, ERMs with macular pseudoholes in 14 eyes and ERMs with laminar macular holes in 7 eyes. Based on OCT, the ERMs were clearly and partially seperated from the retinal (27 eyes, 38. 36%), the retinal thickness of the fovea was the thickest in the proliferative ERMs and the thinnest in the ERMs with laminar macular holes. The statistical analysis showed there was a negative correlation between the thickness of fovea and visual acuity (r = - 0. 454, P = 0. 000).

There were four types of images of OCT in IMEM: ERMs with macular edema, proliferative ERMs, ERMs with macular pseudohole and ERMs with laminar macular hole; and the thicker the fovea under the OCT, the poorer the vision acuity in the affected eyes with ERMs.