title: The preliminary report of pathological changes of epiretinal membranes and internal limiting membrane removed during idiopathic macular hole surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the pathological changes of epiretinal membranes (ERM) and internal limiting membrane (ILM) removed during idiopathic macular hole surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten consecutive patients with a unilateral idiopathic macular hole underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with the surgical removal of the ERMs overlying the hole and ILM surrounding the hole. The pathological features of the excised tissues were examined under the microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the morphological changes, four ERMs showed cellular elements which looked like glia cells, macrophages, plasma cells, lymphocytes and fibroblast cells. Two of the ILM appeared as transparent membranes without cellular elements. The other eight ILM showed cellular elements on the transparent membranes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study supports the hypothesis that the tangential traction of vitreous and proliferative cellular elements on the inner surface of ILM causes idiopathic macular holes. Removal of the posterior cortical vitreous, ILM and proliferative cellular tissue is a valid treatment for IMH.
authors.affiliation: Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China.
authors.forename: Jiaqing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shibo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shaofen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy