title: Surgical treatment of lamellar macular hole associated with epimacular membrane.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although the surgical treatment of full-thickness macular hole is well established, the utility of pars plana vitrectomy in the treatment of lamellar macular hole (LMH) remains less clear. The purpose of the study is to report functional results of surgical treatment of LMH associated with epiretinal membrane.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy and peeling of epiretinal membrane and internal limiting membrane, with or without air or gas tamponade, for symptomatic LMH associated with epimacular membrane.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-five eyes of 44 patients were operated for LMH associated with epimacular membrane between May 2000 and July 2009. Pars plana vitrectomy and membrane peeling were combined with air or gas tamponade in 43 of 45 cases. Mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution best-corrected visual acuity improved from 0.4 preoperatively to 0.13 postoperatively (P < 0.0001). Improvement in visual acuity ranged from 0 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) lines to 8.9 ETDRS lines (mean, 2.65 ETDRS lines). Visual acuity improved by ≥ 1 ETDRS line(s) in 40 of 45 eyes (89%) and by ≥ 2 ETDRS lines in 26 of 45 eyes (58%) after the surgical procedure. No patient lost vision.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This small retrospective study suggests that surgical treatment of LMH associated with epimacular membrane may improve visual acuity in symptomatic patients.
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Unit, Hôpital Ophtalmique Jules-Gonin, Lausanne, Switzerland. hmbartlett@gmail.com
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Casparis
authors.forename: Etienne H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Bovey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000388:Air; D058450:Endotamponade; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride / Q000008:administration & dosage; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014821:Vitrectomy
chemical_list: D007208:Indocyanine Green; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride