Lamellar macular hole: a new indication for vitrectomy with ilm peeling?

Visual loss due to lamellar macular holes has been considered insuperable in the past. The authors report anatomic and functional improvement after surgery for an inner lamellar macular hole.

A 47-year-old woman with mild nuclear sclerosis and posterior subcapsular cataract and an inner lamellar macular hole presented with low visual acuity unexplained by the degree of cataract. She underwent phacoemulsification with intraocular lens implantation, vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peeling, and gas tamponade.

Pre- and postoperative biomicroscopic examination and optical coherence tomography confirmed anatomic restoration of the foveal contour that was associated with marked improvement in visual acuity, maintained over the follow-up period of 7 months.

Surgery may be an effective option for inner lamellar macular holes causing significant visual impairment.