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Clinical Trial
. 2018 May 14;13(5):e0197034.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197034. eCollection 2018.

Changes in macular pigment optical density after membrane peeling

Mario R Romano  1   2 , Gilda Cennamo  2 , Piergiacomo Grassi  2 , Federica Sparnelli  2 , Davide Allegrini  1 , Giovanni Cennamo  2
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Changes in macular pigment optical density after membrane peeling

Mario R Romano et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Introduction: To highlight the differences in macular pigment optical density (MPOD) between eyes with vitreoretinal interface syndrome and healthy control eyes, to assess the changes in MPOD in eyes treated with macular peeling, to investigate the relationships between MPOD changes and measures of retinal sensitivity such as best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and microperimetry.

Methods: In this cross-sectional comparative study, 30 eyes affected by idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM, 15eyes) or full-thickness macular hole (FTMH, 15eyes) were compared with 60 eyes from 30 healthy age-matched patients. MPOD values (mean MPOD, maximum MPOD, MPOD area, and MPOD volume) were measured in a range of 4°-7° of eccentricity around the fovea, using the one-wavelength reflectometry method (Visucam 200, Carl-Zeiss Meditec). Patients affected by iERM and FTMH were treated with vitrectomy and epiretinal membrane-inner limiting membrane (ERM-ILM) peeling, with follow-up examinations performed preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. The main outcome measures were the differences in MPOD between eyes with vitreoretinal interface syndrome and healthy eyes, changes in MPOD after ERM-ILM peeling, and relationships between MPOD and functional changes.

Results: Mean MPOD differed significantly between control eyes and those with iERM (P = .0001) or FTMH (P = .0006). The max MPOD and MPOD area increased, but not significantly. After peeling, the only significant change in MPOD was in MPOD volume (P = .01). In the ERM group, postoperative mean MPOD correlated significantly with best-corrected visual acuity (r = .739, P = .002).

Conclusions: MPOD was reduced in patients with iERM or FTMH compared with healthy eyes. We found a significant correlation between the mean postoperative MPOD and postoperative BCVA, hypothesizing that the postoperative increase in mean MPOD could be due to a change in distribution for unfolding and expansion of the fovea after the peeling. MOPD may be considered as a prognostic factor associated with a good visual prognosis in patients with iERM.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Macular pigment changes after ERM peeling.
Multicolor imaging (A and D), MPOD level (B and E), and microperimetry (C and F) in the left eye of a 68-year-old woman with idiopathic epiretinal membrane at baseline (A–C) and at 6 months after vitrectomy (D–F). Multicolor imaging shows the disappearance of idiopathic epiretinal membrane following vitrectomy. The MPOD level increased after vitrectomy. Microperimetry shows an increase in macular sensitivity following vitrectomy.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Macular pigment changes after ILM peeling in full-thickness macular hole.
Multicolor imaging (A and D), MPOD level (B and E), and microperimetry (C and F) in the right eye of a 67-year-old woman with full-thickness macular hole at baseline (A–C) and at 6 months after vitrectomy (D–F). Multicolor imaging shows the full-thickness macular hole closed following vitrectomy. There is a small retinal hemorrhage inferior at the fovea. The MPOD level increased after vitrectomy. Microperimetry shows an increase in macular sensitivity following vitrectomy.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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