Correlation Between En Face Optical Coherence Tomography Defects of the Inner Retinal Layers and Ganglion Cell Inner Plexiform Layer Analysis After Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling for Idiopathic Full-Thickness Macular Hole

摘要

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report en face optical coherence tomography (OCT) inner retinal changes after internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling for idiopathic full-thickness macular hole (IFTMH) and to correlate these findings with macular ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) analysis. Methods: This prospective study included 20 patients with IFTMH treated using pars plana vitrectomy with ILM peeling. All patients were analyzed using en face OCT at 6 months after surgery to determinate the effect of ILM peeling on the inner retinal layers. Correlation between the GC-IPL en face OCT findings and that obtained by three-dimensional volumetric OCT scanning also was performed. Results: Seven patients (35%) showed defects in the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) that appeared as multiple dark dots with no visible defects at the GC-IPL, either with en face OCT or 3D volumetric OCT scanning. Thirteen patients (65%) showed a similar combination of RNFL defects and well-circumscribed defects in the underlying GC-IPL. These defects could be visualized on en face OCT display, and they correlated with areas of GC-IPL thinning detected in the 3D volumetric OCT scanning. Conclusions: With ILM peeling, en face OCT scanning showed two forms of inner retinal layers changes. The first form was the concentric macular dark spots (CMDS) with intact GC-IPL. The second form appeared in the CMDS with evident localized defects in the underlying GC-IPL. These defects correlate with the areas of GC-IPL thinning detected using 3D volumetric OCT scanning.