STEREOPSIS AND OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY FINDINGS AFTER EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE SURGERY

To evaluate stereopsis in patients undergoing vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane and to investigate the relationship between stereopsis and foveal microstructures.

This study included 55 eyes of 55 patients who underwent vitrectomy for unilateral epiretinal membrane and 27 age-matched normal subjects. We examined stereopsis using the Titmus Stereo Test, TNO stereotest, and, optical coherence tomography before surgery and 6 months after surgery. Central foveal thickness, central retinal thickness at the parafovea (CRT-3 mm), macular volume, and retinal layer thickness were measured with the optical coherence tomography software and an image-processing program.

Epiretinal membrane surgery significantly improved stereopsis in Titmus Stereo Test and in TNO. Stereopsis after surgery was significantly worse than in normal subjects. In stepwise multiple regression analysis, preoperative stereopsis showed a significant association with preoperative CRT-3 mm. Postoperative stereopsis was significantly correlated with postoperative inner nuclear layer thickness. Postoperative Titmus Stereo Test and TNO were significantly related to preoperative CRT-3 mm and preoperative macular volume and inner nuclear layer thickness, respectively.

Vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane improved stereopsis, albeit not to a normal level. Titmus Stereo Test, a stereotest with a smaller index, was related to CRT-3 mm, whereas TNO with a larger index was correlated with retinal volume of the entire posterior pole and mean inner nuclear layer thickness.