Mahmoudzadeh, Raziyeh

Purpose: Foveal herniation occurs when neuroretinal tissue protrudes through and above the level of an epiretinal membrane. This study describes the visual symptoms and spectral domain optical coherence tomography findings associated with foveal herniation and evaluates the postoperative visual, anatomical, and surgical outcomes. Methods: A multicenter retrospective review of patients diagnosed with epiretinal membrane identified 59 patients with preoperative foveal herniation on spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Data regarding visual symptoms, preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness, macular volume, and size of foveal herniation were collected, and statistical analysis was performed. Results: A total of 58 of the 59 patients with foveal herniation underwent surgical epiretinal membrane peeling, with foveal contour restored in 53.5% of patients after surgery. Average BCVA improved from 20/80 to 20/40 Snellen equivalent at most-recent postoperative visit ( P < 0.0001). The average central retinal thickness decreased from 632 µ m to 432 µ m ( P < 0.0001) and the average macular volume decreased from 11.3 mm 3 to 9.5 mm 3 ( P < 0.0001) at 3 months postoperatively. Preoperatively, greater herniation height was associated with worse BCVA ( P = 0.008), greater central retinal thickness ( P = 0.01), retinoschisis, cystoid macular edema, foveolar detachment, ellipsoid zone abnormality, and external limiting membrane abnormalities ( P < 0.05). Postoperatively, there was a decrease in retinoschisis, cystoid macular edema, foveolar detachment, ellipsoid zone, and external limiting membrane abnormality ( P < 0.05) on spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Conclusion: Patients with larger foveal herniation height had greater preoperative central retinal thickness, worse preoperative and postoperative BCVA, and more intraretinal abnormalities on spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Surgical epiretinal membrane peeling in patients with foveal herniation resulted in a significant improvement in patients' BCVA and microstructural abnormalities.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor therapy on the refractive error in eyes with diabetic macular edema. Methods: Post hoc analysis of Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research protocol T. Spherical equivalent (SE) was calculated for study and fellow eyes at baseline, 1-year, and 2-year visits. The SE change of the eyes with edema was compared with those with resolved edema. The correlation between refractive error changes and central subfield thickness was evaluated. Results: Among 543 study eyes, SE changed from −0.17 (2.04) D at baseline visit to −0.16 (2.14) D at 2 years giving a hyperopic shift of 0.04 (0.82) D (P = 0.022). Among fellow eyes, mean (SD) SE changed from −0.19 (2.1) D at baseline to −0.11 (2.1) D at 2 years, giving a hyperopic shift of 0.12 (0.84) D (P = 0.001). No significant difference in SE shift was found between eyes with and without edema at 2 years in phakic (0.12D and 0.08 D, P = 0.87) and pseudophakic eyes (−0.24D and −0.08D, P = 0.30). The SE shift was not correlated with central subfield thickness change at the end of the second year (r = 0.02, P = 0.62). Conclusion: Diabetic macular edema patients have minimal changes in refractive error. The correction of refractive error may be considered during treatment, regardless of the presence of edema.