title: Changes in visual acuity and foveal photoreceptor integrity in eyes with chronic cystoid macular edema associated with retinal vein occlusion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the change in integrity and thickness of the foveal outer retina in eyes with chronic cystoid macula edema associated with retinal vein occlusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed retrospectively the medical records of 30 eyes of 30 patients who had chronic cystoid macula edema associated with retinal vein occlusion and who had a follow-up of more than 12 months without any treatment. Using optical coherence tomography, we assessed the thickness of the outer retina and status of the junction between the inner and outer segments of the photoreceptors and of the external limiting membrane in the fovea.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Visual acuity showed a correlation with thickness of the foveal outer retina (R = -0.37) and with the detection of a line of the inner and outer segments of the photoreceptors (R = 0.65) and that of an external limiting membrane (R = 0.75) beneath the fovea. During the observation period (17.2 ± 5.5 months), neither visual acuity nor the condition of the foveal outer retina showed a significant change, and in no eyes were previously detectable lines of the inner and outer segments of the photoreceptors and external limiting membrane just beneath the foveal cystoid space became undetectable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Even if a large cystoid space is located in the fovea, its effect on deterioration of the underlying foveal photoreceptor cells is not as strong as is generally thought.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurashige
authors.forename: Akitaka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tsujikawa
authors.forename: Tomoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogino
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Muraoka
authors.forename: Nagahisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008269:Macular Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055214:Retinal Photoreceptor Cell Outer Segment / Q000473:pathology*; D012170:Retinal Vein Occlusion / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity