Binocular Interference vs Diplopia in Patients With Epiretinal Membrane

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Neuroscience
• Vision Science

Background:

• Epiretinal membrane (ERM) can cause visual disturbances.
• Some patients with ERM resort to monocular eye closure for improved vision.
• The phenomenon of monocular eye closure in ERM patients has not been well-studied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations with monocular eye closure in ERM patients.
• To identify and characterize binocular interference in this population.
• To assess the impact on quality of life.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of adult strabismus clinic records (2010-2019).
• Included ERM patients who completed the Adult Strabismus (AS)-20 questionnaire.
• Categorized patients based on reporting monocular eye closure versus controls.

Main Results:

• 124 ERM patients reported monocular eye closure.
• Binocular interference was present in 29% of these patients.
• Binocular interference was associated with worse quality of life in reading and general function domains compared to controls.

Conclusions:

• Binocular interference is a distinct clinical entity in ERM patients.
• Monocular eye closure without diplopia or strabismus can significantly affect quality of life.
• Further research into managing binocular interference in ERM is warranted.