Lamellar macular holes: surgical outcome of 106 patients with long-term follow-up.

PURPOSE: To determine long-term results of vitrectomy for lamellar macular holes (LMH). To evaluate how the type of lamellar macular hole (tractional vs. degenerative) and the crystalline lens status might influence visual outcomes. METHODS: We collected data from 106 patients with symptomatic lamellar macular hole that underwent pars plana vitrectomy with membranectomy and internal limiting membrane peeling. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and optical coherence tomography appearance were determined preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: Most of the lamellar holes were of tractional type (65%). Mean follow-up after surgery was 36 months. Mean BCVA increased from 20/50 to 20/43 at 6 months and 20/33 at last follow-up visit (p < 0.001). Vision improved in 74 (70%), remained stable in 11 (10%), and decreased in 21 (20%) eyes. Subgroup analysis showed that visual acuity significantly increased in the tractional but not in the degenerative forms of LMH. Thirteen eyes lost two or more ETDRS lines after surgery. Preoperative phakic/pseudophakic status influenced the functional outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery may be effective in some subsets of patients with lamellar macular hole, but postoperative visual loss is not uncommon and prospective controlled studies are warranted.

Vitreoretinal lymphomas misdiagnosed as uveitis: Lessons learned from a case series.

PURPOSE: To present challenging cases of vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) that was misdiagnosed as uveitis because of the apparent intraocular inflammation. At the light of the new classification of intraocular lymphomas, we detail the characteristics that masqueraded the tumors and the clinical aspects that guided us to the correct diagnosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the patients referred to our uveitis service between January 2006 and December 2014. RESULTS: Seven patients referred with a presumptive diagnosis of idiopathic uveitis received a final diagnosis of VRL. The median time between the onset of symptoms and definitive diagnosis was 25 months for these complex cases. The median time from presentation at our clinic to final diagnosis was 1 month. The described clinical features including dense vitreous cells and subretinal infiltrates were characteristic and tend to be present in all these chronically ill patients. Vitreous samples were collected, and all demonstrated the pathognomonic tumor cells, the specific immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements, and an interleukin (IL)-10 to IL-6 ratio >1. CONCLUSION: VRLs are severe diseases with a poor prognosis that may be misdiagnosed as idiopathic inflammatory conditions of the eye. Treatment with steroids may occult the tumors and delay the correct diagnosis. Appropriate evaluation may prompt to a timely vitreous sampling and therefore to a faster diagnosis in these peculiar cases where the correct diagnosis was delayed by several months.