title: Association Between Photoreceptor Regeneration and Visual Acuity Following Surgery for Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate foveal regeneration and the association between retinal restoration and visual acuity following reattachment surgery for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine eyes of 29 patients with successfully reattached macula-off RRD were retrospectively analyzed. We used spectral-domain optical coherence tomography to image macular regions and measure retinal thickness and Snellen chart visual acuity (VA) to evaluate best-corrected VA (BCVA) at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after vitrectomy. Best-corrected visual acuity data were converted to the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution scale. Opposite eyes were used as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The thicknesses of the external limiting membrane (ELM)-ellipsoid zone (EZ) and EZ-retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) were significantly thinner in involved eyes than in corresponding unaffected eyes at 1 month after surgery (P < 0.001 for both), and the thickness increased over time (P < 0.001 for both). Best-corrected visual acuity significantly improved over time (P < 0.001), and the improvement correlated with EZ-RPE thickness (r = -0.45, P = 0.021). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated the presence of a foveal bulge as the independent predictor of final BCVA (P < 0.001). Eyes with a foveal bulge had significantly better BCVA and greater EZ-RPE thickness than those without throughout the follow-up period. Significant restoration of the integrity of EZ and cone interdigitation zone (CIZ) was observed over time (P < 0.001 for both) in eyes with a foveal bulge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The thickness of EZ-RPE and cone density increased during foveal regeneration, as demonstrated by the continuous improvements in CIZ integrity over time, leading to the formation of foveal bulge and good vision following successful reattachment of macula-off RRD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Misato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwase
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Eimei
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ra
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murotani
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Showa-ku, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeyuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Terasaki
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000502:physiology*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012038:Regeneration; D012163:Retinal Detachment / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D014821:Vitrectomy