DRUSEN REGRESSION FOLLOWING MACULAR HOLE SURGERY: A CASE REPORT

To report a case of drusen regression following pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peel in a patient with a full-thickness macular hole and dry age-related macular degeneration.

A 67-year-old gentleman presented in April 2024 with a full-thickness macular hole in the left eye and intermediate dry age-related macular degeneration in both eyes. The patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peel, and an injection of sulfur hexafluoride gas for macular hole repair in the left eye. The patient's macular changes were monitored through VA, fundus examination, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging at baseline and follow-up visits.

The macular hole was closed, and there was early stability of the macular drusen in both eyes. At a 5-month follow-up in September 2024, he reported improved vision from 20/100 baseline to 20/40. Fundus examination and OCT imaging demonstrated a significant reduction of macular drusen in the operated eye, which was not observed in the fellow eye.

This case demonstrates successful surgical management of a full-thickness macular hole in a patient with concomitant drusen regression. The regression of drusen was limited to the operated eye, which suggests that surgical interventions may influence the course of age-related macular degeneration in certain patients.