Relationship between Visual Acuity and Photoreceptor Layer or Foveal Thickness on Optical Coherence Tomography after Macular Hole Surgery

Lee, Ji Eun; Kim, Eun Hee; Oum, Boo Sup

Abstract

PURPOSE: To suggest parameters on optical coherence tomography (OCT) implicating visual prognosis after macular hole surgery, foveal thickness and photoreceptor layer were assessed by OCT after successful closure of the macular hole.
METHODS
Twenty-two eyes underwent macular hole surgery and were followed up 6 months or longer. Of these, 16 eyes which were closed without neurosensory retinal defect were enrolled. OCT and visual acuity were reviewed and collected retrospectively. The photorecepter layer was graded as 1 to 3 according to the relative area of degeneration in the 1-mm of foveal center. Correlations between visual acuity and OCT parameters including the grade of the photorecepter layer and the foveal thickness were statistically analyzed.
RESULTS
Visual acuities of six eyes were 0.4 or greater. Visual acuity became stable by 20 weeks in the high acuity group and by 12 weeks in the low acuity group. The correlation between visual acuity and foveal thickness was weak (correlation efficiency: -0.15). The photoreceptor layer was graded as 1 in two eyes, 2 in three eyes and 3 in one eye among high acuity group, whereas the layer was graded as 1 in no eyes, 2 in two eyes and 3 in eight eyes among low acuity group. The difference in the number of eyes graded as 3 between the high and low acuity groups was statistically significant (p=0.035).
CONCLUSIONS
The photoreceptor layer, using OCT, can be graded according to the area of degeneration. Functional outcome correlated with the grade of photoreceptor degeneration rather than foveal thickness.