Correlation of visual recovery and presence of photoreceptor inner/outer segment junction in optical coherence images after successful macular hole repair.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the relationship between the postoperative visual acuity (VA) and the presence of a photoreceptor inner segment (IS) and outer segment (OS) junction (IS/OS) in optical coherence tomographic (OCT) images after macular hole (MH) surgery.


METHODS
Twenty-three eyes of 23 cases of idiopathic MH treated by vitrectomy were studied. The postoperative VA and OCT3 images of the fovea at 1, 3, and 6 months were examined. The relationship between the presence of the IS/OS junction and the visual acuity was studied.


RESULTS
All MHs were successfully closed. The IS/OS junction appeared as a distinct, highly reflective line just vitread to the retinal pigment epithelial layer in the postoperative OCT3 images. A normal IS/OS junction was detected postoperatively in one eye at 1 month, three eyes at 3 months, and seven eyes at 6 months. The VA was significantly better in eyes in which a normal IS/OS junction was detected than in those not detected at 3 and 6 months postoperatively (P = 0.046 and P = 0.040, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The normal IS/OS junction observed in OCT3 images is associated with good visual recovery after MH closure. The presence of normal IS/OS junction may be important for visual recovery after MH repair.
Baba
Takayuki
T
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan. t.baba.oph@faculty.chiba-u.jp
Yamamoto
Shuichi
S
Arai
Miyuki
M
Arai
Eika
E
Sugawara
Takeshi
T
Mitamura
Yoshinori
Y
Mizunoya
Satoshi
S
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000473:pathology*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D014821:Vitrectomy