Management of Myopic Maculopathy: A Review

Myopia, including pathologic myopia, has seen a significant increase in prevalence in recent years. It is a significant cause of irreversible vision loss worldwide and prediction models demonstrate the substantial future impact on the population. With increased awareness and research, it is possible to prevent blindness on a large scale in the younger, productive age group affected by myopic maculopathy (MM). The vision-threatening manifestations of pathologic myopia include myopic choroidal neovascularization, macular atrophy, maculoschisis, macular hole, and retinal detachment. Myopic traction maculopathy (MTM) is a progressive manifestation of pathologic myopia and its treatment includes pars plana vitrectomy, macular buckle, or a combination. In this article we aim to review the diagnosis, clinical characteristics, and treatment of MM with an emphasis on recent developments in the surgical management of MTM. We discuss commercially available macular buckles, along with potential advantages to the use of macular buckle in MM. We review the new MTM staging system and its role in determining surgical management of these complex cases.