title: THE ANALYSIS OF SPONTANEOUS CLOSURE MECHANISMS AND REGENERATION OF RETINAL LAYERS OF A FULL-THICKNESS MACULAR HOLE: Relationship with Visual Acuity Improvement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the spontaneous closure mechanisms, retinal layer regeneration, and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the full-thickness macular hole (FMTH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten eyes of 10 patients were studied. The measured outcomes included the time of persisting clinical symptoms and spontaneous closure of FTMH, BCVA, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) of vitreomacular interface.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In a follow-up period, all eyes showed closure of FTMH (closure range: 3-64 weeks). The "bridging" phenomenon was a main mechanism of a spontaneous FMTH closure. Additionally, posterior vitreous detachment with the release of vitreomacular traction was observed in 4 eyes (40%). The statistical analysis showed that shorter the duration of symptoms, shorter the duration of the spontaneous FTMH closure (r = 0 673, P < 0 05). No significant association was observed between the time of spontaneous closure FTMH, the age of patients, and BCVA. The regeneration of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) and external limiting membrane (ELM) was confirmed in 10 and 9 eyes, respectively. In six eyes, connections between inner and outer segments of photoreceptors were rebuilt; in these cases, the final BCVA was the best. None of the eyes showed the regeneration of the connections between the outer segments of photoreceptor and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main mechanism leading to a spontaneous closure of FTMH is the "bridging" phenomenon. Vitreous detachment and vitreomacular traction release are not necessary conditions promoting the closure of FTMH. Shorter duration of symptoms and regeneration of photoreceptors IS/OS interface provide a better final BCVA.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Ophthalmology, Clinic of Ophthalmology and Ocular Oncology, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Cracow, Poland; and †Clinical Unit of Ophthalmology and Ocular Oncology, University Hospital, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Morawski
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jędrychowska-Jamborska
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kubicka-Trząska
authors.forename: Bożena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Romanowska-Dixon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012160:Retina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*