To evaluate the influence of tamponade on the visual and anatomic outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy for myopic traction maculopathy (MTM).
Multicenter, retrospective clinical cohort study.
Consecutive eyes that underwent vitrectomy for advanced MTM with tamponade of air, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), or perfluoropropane (C3F8) or without tamponade with a minimum follow-up of 12 months were included. Main outcome measures included postoperative visual acuity (VA) at 12 months in eyes with vs without tamponade.
We included a total of 193 eyes (193 patients) in this study; 136 eyes (70%) treated with tamponade were compared with 57 eyes (30%) treated without tamponade. Baseline characteristics did not differ significantly between the groups. Both groups showed significant visual improvement at 12 months (both P < .001). However, postoperative visual acuity and visual improvement at 12 months were significantly better (P = .003 and P = .028, respectively) in eyes without tamponade, although the MTM in these eyes without tamponade took longer to resolve (P = .039). Retinal thickness and the ellipsoid zone were more preserved in eyes without tamponade (P < .001 and P = .001, respectively). Complications such as macular holes did not differ between the groups. A novel imaging finding of \"schisis bending (accordioning)\" was identified during MTM resolution.
Vitrectomy either with or without tamponade for MTM was effective in improving vision in this study. However, eyes without tamponade experienced even better visual improvement and preserved retinal anatomy, despite a longer schisis resolution time. Surgery without tamponade may achieve better visual outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The developmental pathways and subsequent evolutional processes of idiopathic lamellar macular hole (LMH) were studied with spectrum domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
METHODS: Twenty-seven eyes of 26 patients of idiopathic LMH with pre-LMH SD-OCT available were retrospectively reviewed. Relevant OCT parameters and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) were collected and analyzed.
RESULTS: Four types of developmental pathways of idiopathic LMH were noted. Type 1 (5 cases), involved disruption of a foveal cyst from vitreomacular traction. Type 2 (10 cases), demonstrated rupture of parafoveal cysts or schisis mainly from epiretinal membrane (ERM). In type 3 pathway (5 cases), a central intraretinal cyst formed under tight ERM with subsequent cyst roof dehiscence. Type 4 (7 cases), showed gradual loss of foveal tissue without cystic lesions from ERM traction. There was no statistically significant change in BCVA during LMH formations or subsequent evolutional processes in any types of the developmental pathways. Three cases developed epiretinal proliferation (EP) during evolution, which showed tendency of decrease in BCVA. Among the three cases, one later developed the degenerative configuration.
CONCLUSIONS: In summary, four types of tractional developmental pathways of idiopathic LMH were identified. BCVA was relatively stable during LMH formation and follow-up. Deterioration of visual acuity were found in cases that developed EP during evolution. Transformation into degenerative configuration might be possible after LMH formation.

UNASSIGNED: To analyze the functional and anatomical parameters of lamellar macular hole (LMH) surgery with internal limiting membrane peeling and determine which surgical technique provides the best visual outcome.
UNASSIGNED: This is a retrospective multicenter cross-sectional study on patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for LMH with or without combined phaco-vitrectomy, as well as gas-, air- or BSS-tamponade. Pre- and postoperative examination included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurements for functional comparison and optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans to determine the contributing anatomical parameters.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 66 consecutive patients were included (age: 71.79 ± 8.52 years), of which 47 (71.2%) were diagnosed as tractional type LMH, and 19 patients (28.8%) as degenerative type. An epiretinal membrane (ERM) was present in 63 of the patients (95.5%), LMH-associated epiretinal proliferation (LHEP) was present in 19 patients (28.8%), and 16 patients (24.2%) had concomitant ERM and LHEP. In the group of tractional LMH, the mean central foveal thickness (CFT) was 81.1% thicker (P < 0.05) than in the degenerative group. Thirty-one patients (47.0%) underwent a combined phaco-vitrectomy procedure, while the rest underwent 23G, 25G or 27G PPV. Seventeen of the 66 patients received gas-tamponade (25.7%)-either SF6 or C3F8, 26 received air-tamponade (39.4%), while the remaining 23 patients received balanced salt solution (BSS)-tamponade (34.9%) during vitrectomy. The total BCVA showed significant improvement postoperatively (p < 0.001) and accordingly in the following groups: tractional LMH type (p < 0.001), degenerative type (p < 0.001), simple PPV (p < 0.001), phaco-vitrectomy (p < 0.001), BSS injection (p < 0.01), gas-tamponade (p < 0.05). None of the patients included in the study developed a full thickness macular hole postoperatively.
UNASSIGNED: PPV provided a high success rate and functional improvement for treating LMH for both tractional and degenerative types, as well as combined phaco-vitrectomy treatment when cataract was present.

OBJECTIVE: To document with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography the structural stabilization of the fovea and the sealing of outer macular defects by Müller cells.
METHODS: A retrospective case series of 45 eyes of 34 patients is described.
RESULTS: In cases of a cystic disruption of the foveola as in macular telangiectasia type 2 and vitreomacular traction, the Müller cell cone provides the structural stability of the fovea. In cases of a detachment or disruption of the Müller cell cone, e.g., in foveal pseudocysts, outer lamellar holes, and degenerative and tractional lamellar holes, Müller cells of the foveal walls may provide the structural stability of the fovea by the formation of a hyperreflective external limiting membrane (ELM) which bridges the holes in the central outer nuclear layer (ONL). Müller cells of the foveal walls and parafovea mediate the regeneration of the foveal architecture in cases of outer lamellar and full-thickness macular holes. The regeneration proceeds by a centripetal displacement of photoreceptor cell somata which closes the holes in the central ONL. The closure may be supported by the formation of a glial tissue band at the ELM which seals the hole.
CONCLUSIONS: The Müller cell cone provides the foveal stability in cases of a cystic disruption of the foveola. The structural stability of the outer foveal layers is mainly provided by the Müller cells of the foveal walls and parafovea; these cells also mediate the regeneration of the outer fovea in cases of a defect of the central ONL.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare anatomic and visual changes in patients with lamellar macular hole undergoing pars plana vitrectomy with those in patients undergoing follow-up only.
METHODS: In this retrospective consecutive case series study, we evaluated two groups of eyes, comprising 19 eyes from 19 patients with lamellar macular hole who underwent pars plana vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling and 21 eyes from 21 patients with lamellar macular hole who had follow-up only. Corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA, in logMAR) and optical coherence tomography findings, including measurements of maximum diameter of lamellar defect and foveal thickness, and whether the inner segment/outer segment band was intact or not were documented at initial and follow-up examinations.
RESULTS: At initial examination, mean CDVA was 0.54 logMAR in the study group and 0.51 logMAR in the control group, and 0.33 logMAR and 0.55 logMAR, respectively, on final examination. In the study group, postoperative optical coherence tomography images were found to be normalized in ten patients (52.6%), improved in six (31.5%), unchanged in two (10.5%), and to have progressed to full-thickness macular hole in one (5.2%) in the intervention group, while all patients in the control group were found to have deteriorated within the follow-up period between March 2004 and June 2010.
CONCLUSIONS: In patients with lamellar macular hole, combination treatment with pars plana vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane peeling appears to be effective, but further studies are required to establish new treatment modalities for patients who do not have a satisfactory outcome from treatment.