Assessment of macular function in patients with idiopathic Epiretinal membrane by multifocal Electroretinography: correlation with visual acuity and optical coherence tomography.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates the macular function changes in patients with idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane (ERM) by multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) and their correlations with visual acuity and central macular thickness (CMT) by optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: Twenty eyes of 20 patients with ERM underwent OCT and mfERG examinations. The response amplitude densities and implicit times of mfERG were compared to the control fellow eyes. Correlation analyses among visual acuity, central macular thickness and mfERG values in the central two concentric rings were performed. RESULTS: The mfERG P1 response amplitude densities in ring 1-2 and P1 implicit time in ring1 were significantly changed in epiretinal membrane eyes compared with controls (P < 0.05). Multivariate stepwise linear regression analyses showed LogMAR visual acuity was significantly correlated with CMT (P = 0.004), and also with the P1 amplitude density in ring 1 (P = 0.002). CMT showed significant correlation with P1 implicit time in ring 2 (P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: The mfERG abnormalities show macular function changes and correlate with visual acuity and central macular thickness in eyes with ERM. In first-order mfERG responses, P1 wave changes may be a sensitive functional measurement for ERM patients.

A comparative assessment of the efficacy of carbomer gel and carboxymethyl cellulose containing artificial tears in dry eyes.

The present study aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of a 0.4% carbomer gel and 1% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) containing artificial tears in treatment of dry eye patients. Sixty subjects with mean age of 45.89 years who had symptoms and signs of dry eye were enrolled in this prospective, investigator-masked and stratified random sampling study. The subjects were divided into two parallel groups with 30 subjects (60 eyes) in each group. One group received carbomer gel, and the other group received 1% CMC containing artificial tears. Subjects received the drops 3 to 4 times or more per day for 3 months. At the first visit time, the precorneal residence time of these two drops was measured. The efficacy was assessed by comparing the subjective symptoms (ocular dryness, foreign body sensation, burning sensation and pain), and the objective test results of tears breakup time, Schirmer's test and corneal fluorescein staining prior to the study and after the treatment. As a result, the ocular residence time of carbomer gel was significantly longer than that of 1% CMC (P<0.001). Most of the primary subjective symptoms and objective test results were improved after treatment in both carbomer gel group and 1% CMC group. As to the improvement of each symptom and objective test result, carbomer gel was more effective than 1% CMC group (P<0.01). In conclusion, carbomer gel had longer precorneal residence time and was more effective than 1% CMC in the treatment of patients with dry eyes.