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Quantification of changes in metamorphopsia and retinal contraction in eyes with spontaneous separation of idiopathic
H Nomoto1, C Matsumoto, E Arimura
1Department of Ophthalmology, Kinki University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka, Japan. nomoto@med.kindai.ac.jp
Background:
To quantify changes in metamorphopsia and retinal contraction in eyes with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) before and after a spontaneous separation of ERM.
Methods:
Among 92 eyes of 92 patients with idiopathic ERM who were followed up at our hospital, 5 eyes of 5 patients had experienced a spontaneous separation of ERM during the follow-up period. Patient's metamorphopsia was assessed horizontally and vertically by a metamorphopsia chart developed by our group, M-CHARTS, to obtain the horizontal (MH) and vertical (MV) metamorphopsia scores. Difference in the scores before and after the membrane separation represents change in patient's metamorphopsia. Changes in retinal contraction were also evaluated horizontally and vertically with our original software for fundus image analysis. The difference between M-CHARTS scores and distances of retinal vessel movements with before and after membrane separation were measured.
Results:
All five subjects showed a decrease in the retinal contraction. Improved visual acuity was observed in three subjects, and no change was seen in the other two. Four subjects obtained better metamorphopsia scores after the membrane separation, while the other one was not detected with metamorphopsia by M-CHARTS either before or after the separation. In subjects with an improved MV, horizontal retinal movement was seen larger than the vertical movement. Similarly, the subjects with an improved MH indicated a larger vertical retinal movement than the horizontal movement.
Conclusions:
The direction of patient's metamorphopsia closely associated with the direction of retinal contraction before and after a spontaneous separation of ERM.
Insights
Spontaneous separation of epiretinal membrane (ERM) reduced retinal contraction and improved metamorphopsia. The direction of visual distortion correlated with retinal movement changes, offering insights into ERM progression.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Retinal Diseases
- Visual Optics
Background:
- Idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) can cause metamorphopsia and retinal contraction.
- Quantifying changes in these parameters after spontaneous ERM separation is crucial for understanding disease progression.
Observation:
- Five patients with idiopathic ERM experienced spontaneous membrane separation during follow-up.
- Metamorphopsia was assessed using M-CHARTS (horizontal and vertical scores), and retinal contraction was measured via fundus image analysis.
- Changes in metamorphopsia scores and retinal vessel movements were evaluated before and after membrane separation.
Findings:
- All five subjects demonstrated reduced retinal contraction post-separation.
- Four subjects showed improved metamorphopsia scores, with visual acuity improving in three.
- A correlation was observed between the direction of metamorphopsia and the direction of retinal contraction.
Implications:
- Spontaneous ERM separation can lead to significant visual improvement.
- Understanding the relationship between metamorphopsia and retinal contraction aids in predicting visual outcomes.
- These findings contribute to the management of epiretinal membrane disease.
