title: Results of visual acuity and foveal thickness in diabetic macular edema after vitrectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report results of an investigation of visual acuity (VA) and foveal thickness in diabetic macular edema (DME) patients after vitrectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was performed of the records of 47 patients (61 eyes) who received pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for DME. All eyes were followed up for over 6 months (mean, 24.8 months; range, 6-60 months). VA and foveal thickness evaluated by optical coherence tomography were reviewed preoperatively and postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four-month follow-up data were available for 46 of the 61 eyes (75%). VA at the final examination had improved by 0.2 log units or more in 34 of the 61 eyes (56%), remained unchanged in 21 eyes (34%), and worsened in six eyes (10%). Mean foveal thickness decreased by more than 20% of the preoperative value in 50 of the 61 eyes (82%), remained unchanged in ten eyes (16%), and increased by more than 20% in one eye (2%) at the final examination. Postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at both 12 and 24 months was significantly better than preoperative BCVA (P < 0.0001). Foveal thickness at 3 months or later significantly decreased from the preoperative value (P < 0.0001), but remained unchanged in comparison with postoperative 12 months and 24 months values (P = 0.19). Preoperative VA and presence of cystoid macular edema (CME) were independently associated with final visual acuity (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PPV for DME effectively improved VA and reduced foveal thickness for a longer postoperative period. Better preoperative VA was associated with better final postoperative VA. The eyes without CME tended to have better final postoperative VA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimonagano
authors.forename: Reiko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Makiuchi
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: Norihito
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: Akinori
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Uemura
authors.forename: Taiji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D014821:Vitrectomy