Geometric Morphometrics Can Predict Postoperative Visual Acuity Changes in Patients With Epiretinal Membrane: A Retrospective Study.

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of the geometric morphometrics method for the evaluation of retinal deformation in patients with epiretinal membrane (ERM) and determine whether the degree of deformation can serve as a predictive factor for postoperative visual outcome. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated data from 29 eyes of 29 patients with primary ERM. Preoperative optical coherence tomography images were compared with images of their normal fellow eyes using the geometric morphometrics thin-plate spline technique. Conventional parameters such as retinal layer thickness and previously reported indices were also measured. The correlation between the preoperative parameters and visual acuity was evaluated. Statistical comparisons were performed using a paired t-test, and associations between the optical coherence tomography image parameters and visual acuity were determined using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results: Bending energy, which was calculated using geometric morphometrics, was significantly associated with visual acuity as well as conventional optical coherence tomography parameters and previously reported indices. Multiple regression analysis showed that bending energy was an independent predictive factor for postoperative visual acuity changes. Conclusions: The geometric morphometrics method is an effective approach for evaluating the severity of ERM and predicting the efficacy of surgery. Translational Relevance: Geometric morphometrics can effectively evaluate retinal deformation in eyes with epiretinal membrane.

Establishment of a pigmented murine model abundant with characteristics of retinal vein occlusion.

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a vascular disease that represents characteristic retinal hemorrhage and dilated retinal veins. Despite its clinical importance, its pathogenesis remains largely unknown because of limited opportunities to acquire human retinal samples. Therefore, an animal model that reproduces the clinical features of RVO patients is required for further investigation. In this study, we established a pigmented murine RVO model that reproduced characteristic fundus appearances similar to human RVO findings. Retinal edema in this model was observed in both optical coherence tomography and histological analysis, which is a clinically important outcome. With quantitative real-time PCR analysis on retinal samples, we revealed that the mRNA level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) increased in the retina induced RVO. Moreover, this retinal edema was reduced by intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF antibody. These results were consistent with human clinical knowledge and suggested that this model could be a useful tool for research into new therapeutic approaches.