CORRELATION BETWEEN INNER-RETINAL CHANGES AND OUTER-RETINAL DAMAGE IN PATIENTS WITH IDIOPATHIC EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate correlations between the inner-retinal irregularity index and interdigitation zone (IZ) defects preidiopathic and postidiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) surgery. METHODS: The authors retrospectively assessed ophthalmic parameters in 89 eyes of 89 patients with ERM. They divided patients into the no-IZ defect (51, 57%) and IZ defect (38, 43%) groups. The IZ defect group was subdivided into recovered (22, 58%) and remaining IZ defect (16, 42%) subgroups, according to IZ recovery status at final examination. The inner-retinal irregularity index of each group was measured before and 1-, 3-, and 6-month postsurgery. RESULTS: Clinical characteristics were similar in both groups. The IZ defect group had a statistically significant higher inner-retinal irregularity index than the no-IZ defect group before (P = 0.023), but not after ERM surgery. The inner-retinal irregularity index of the recovered and remaining IZ defect subgroups was similar before surgery, but differed markedly 6 months after surgery (P = 0.048). Changes in the inner-retinal irregularity index quantitatively correlated with IZ defect size before and after ERM surgery (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The inner-retinal irregularity index differed significantly according to the IZ status and also correlated with the IZ defect before and after ERM surgery. The inner-retinal irregularity index may reflect the outer-retinal damage in ERM.