[Use of optical coherence tomography to measure prevalence of epiretinal membranes in patients referred for cataract surgery].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate, using optical coherence tomography (OCT), the prevalence of epiretinal membranes (ERM) in patients referred for phacoemulsification, and the frequency of new ERM development in the first six months after surgery.


METHODS
Patients referred by general ophthalmologists for cataract surgery underwent a new, complete ophthalmological evaluation. OCT scanning was performed using the Macular Thickness Map acquisition protocol (StratusOCT, Carl Zeiss Meditec). This baseline examination was used to determine the prevalence of ERM in patients referred for cataract surgery. All patients underwent uneventful phacoemulsification. If an ERM was already present in one eye, the other eye was chosen for cataract surgery. If no ERM was present, the eye with the poorest visual acuity was operated. Operated eyes were followed-up for six months in order to study the influence of phacoemulsification on the development of ERM.


RESULTS
Forty-five patients were prospectively evaluated. In the baseline visit, ERM were detected by OCT in 7 patients (15.6%). Both eyes were affected in one patient, with the ERM being apparent on funduscopy only in her left eye. Fundus examination was unremarkable in all other cases. After six months follow-up, no new cases of epiretinal membranes were detected in the eyes that had undergone phacoemulsification, neither by fundus evaluation nor by OCT.


CONCLUSIONS
Epiretinal membranes, previously thought to be secondary to cataract surgery, may be present before phacoemulsification and can be diagnosed by OCT.
Contreras
I
I
Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, España. inescon3@yahoo.com
Noval
S
S
Tejedor
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D015995:Prevalence; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence