title: Contrast sensitivity and foveal microstructure following vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate contrast sensitivity (CS) in patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM) following vitrectomy and to investigate the relationship between CS and foveal microstructures with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one eyes of 31 patients with ERM were included. We examined CS with a CSV-1000E chart, a logMAR best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and foveal microstructure by using SD-OCT before and at 6 months after surgery. From the CS data, the area under the log contrast sensitivity function (AULCSF) was calculated. Based on the OCT images, we quantified the mean thickness of the ganglion cell layer (GCL), the inner nuclear layer (INL), and the outer retinal layer (outer nuclear layer and outer plexiform layer [ONL+OPL]). The status of the photoreceptor inner and outer segment junction (IS/OS) and external limiting membrane (ELM) was also evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Vitrectomy significantly improved logMAR BCVA and AULCSF. Even in patients with poor improvement of visual acuity (changes in logMAR BCVA by surgery was ≤0.2), postoperative AULCSF significantly increased by treatment (P < 0.05). Postoperative AULCSF showed a significant correlation with preoperative (P < 0.05) and postoperative (P < 0.05) ONL+OPL thickness, whereas other parameters were not relevant. Postoperative logMAR BCVA significantly correlated with postoperative status of IS/OS (P < 0.05) and preoperative ONL+OPL thickness (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with ERM, CS improved even though their visual acuity did not recover significantly by vitrectomy. CS was associated with the thickness of outer retinal layer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshimi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshifumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oshika
mesh_terms: D015350:Contrast Sensitivity / Q000502:physiology*; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D055211:Retinal Photoreceptor Cell Inner Segment / Q000648:ultrastructure; D055214:Retinal Photoreceptor Cell Outer Segment / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity; D014821:Vitrectomy
keywords: contrast sensitivity; epiretinal membrane; optical coherence tomography