title: Functional and structural assessment of lamellar macular holes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present work was to evaluate the macular sensitivity of patients with lamellar macular hole (LMH) by means of microperimetry, and to explore the relationships between macular function, LMH anatomical characteristics and vitreous status.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 39 eyes from 37 patients with a diagnosis of LMH and 20 age-matched control subjects were enrolled. All patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination including visual acuity testing (logMAR) and MP1 microperimetry. LMHs were quantitatively and qualitative characterised by spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) in terms of base and apex diameter, depth, central foveal and perifoveal thickness, splitting location and integrity of outer retina layers. B scan ultrasonography was performed in order to characterise the vitreoretinal relationships.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean total (17.2 ± 2.2 vs 19.6 ± 0.5 dB, respectively, p<0.0001) and mean central (16.1 ± 3.2 vs 19.2 ± 0.7 dB, p < 0.0001) retinal sensitivity were significantly reduced in LMH eyes in comparison with controls. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (0.15 ± 0.15 vs 0.03 ± 0.06 logMar, p = 0.001) and central retinal thickness (329.05 ± 59.3 vs 265 ± 28.5 μm, p < 0.0001) were significantly worse in LMH eyes in comparison with controls. In our population, mean total and central retinal sensitivity showed a moderately significant relationship with LMH depth (R(2) 0.18, p = 0.006, R(2) 0.14, p = 0.02, respectively). In all, 38% of LMH eyes (15/39) showed focal interruptions of the inner-outer segment junction with lower values of BCVA and macular sensitivity. An incomplete posterior vitreous detachment with vitreopapillary adhesion was found in 48.7% (19/39) of patients with LMH.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Eyes with LMH show an impaired macular function, which is partially related to LMH depth and is more pronounced in eyes with outer retinal layers abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Fondazione GB Bietti-IRCCS, Via Livenza n 3, Rome 00198, Italy. criparra@tin.it
authors.forename: Mariacristina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parravano
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oddone
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Boccassini
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chiaravalloti
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scarinci
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sciamanna
authors.forename: Antonluca
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boninfante
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tedeschi
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods; D014792:Visual Acuity; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields