title: Time course of the size of the dark area in macular holes by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy.
abstract: To investigate the time course of idiopathic macular hole development by scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO), we examined 28 eyes of 25 patients with macular holes. Cases included four eyes with stage 1-B disease (foveal detachment), 3 with stage 2 (break at the fovea), 13 with stage 3 (full-thickness macular hole), and 8 with stage 4 (hole with pseudo-operculum, posterior vitreous detachment), according to Gass's classification. The diameter of the dark area around the macular holes was recorded by SLO using a helium-neon laser. We compared the percent difference of dark area recorded between initial findings and these after three months. The size of the dark area increased after three months in eyes with stages 1, 2, and 3 disease. The size of the dark area in stage 4 disease decreased after 3 months. In the stage before posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), the dark areas increased. Once PVD occurred, these areas decreased. These findings suggested that the time course of the dark area may be related to the development of PVD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. AKASAKA@oph.med.tohoku.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Akasaka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamai
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008266:Macula Lutea / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009887:Ophthalmoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013997:Time Factors; D058609:Visual Field Tests