[Clinical and pathological aspects of epiretinal membrane formation]

In the light of an analysis of epiretinal membrane formations, both clinical and histopathological, a stage classification of these membranes is proposed. Three stages are distinguished, characterized by their clinical picture and their morphology. Simple epiretinal membranes, the so-called cellophane macula, may be distinguished from more complex membranes with and without major traction on the retina. Whereas, histopathologically, the simple epiretinal membranes contain one cell system, the more complex membranes are composed of two or three cell types. Membranes with major traction are remarkable for the presence of contractile intracytoplasmic elements. On the basis of the authors' findings epiretinal membrane formation seems to be a uniform reaction caused by several etiologic factors; therefore, the term proliferative vitreoretinal reaction is proposed for epiretinal membrane formations.