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. 2018 Nov 7;18(1):290.
doi: 10.1186/s12886-018-0957-1.

Retinal-image quality and contrast sensitivity function in eyes with epiretinal membrane: a cross-sectional observational clinical study

Limei Liu  1   2 , Yi Wang  1 , Ju Liu  1 , Wu Liu  3
Affiliations

Retinal-image quality and contrast sensitivity function in eyes with epiretinal membrane: a cross-sectional observational clinical study

Limei Liu et al. BMC Ophthalmol. .

Abstract

Background: To investigate the effect of idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) on the retinal-image quality and psychophysical contrast sensitivity function (CSF).

Methods: Forty-four subjects with diagnosis of idiopathic unilateral ERM were enrolled in this cross-sectional observational clinical study. The fellow unaffected eyes were set as the control group. For retinal-image quality assessment, an Optical Quality Analysis System (OQAS) based on double-pass technique was used to evaluate objective scatter index (OSI) and Strehl ratio. For visual performance, the CSF under photopic condition was measured.

Results: For retinal-image quality, the result of double-pass device revealed a significant lower Strehl ratio and larger OSI in the ERM eyes compared to the fellow eyes (all P < 0.05). For visual performance, the CSF at all spatial frequencies under photopic condition were also significantly degraded in the ERM eyes compared to the fellow eyes (all P < 0.05). For the ERM eyes, the reduction of Strehl ratio and CSF was 29.41 and 54.39%, respectively, and the increase of OSI was 164.10% compared to the fellow eyes. Besides, BCVA significantly correlated to the total CSF (ERM eyes, r = - 0.53, P < 0.001; the fellow eyes, r = - 0.467, P = 0.002) and Strehl ratio (ERM eyes, r = - 0.485, P = 0.001; the fellow eyes, r = - 0.311, P = 0.043) in both of the ERM and the fellow eyes.

Conclusion: Eyes affected with ERM showed poorer retinal-image quality and visual performance than the normal eyes. Retinal-image quality measured by OQAS based on double-pass technique could be useful for assessing the retinal-image quality for ERM-affected eyes, in which retinal scattering was significantly increased.

Keywords: Epiretinal membrane; Retinal-image quality; Visual performance.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study followed the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki, and was approved by the ethical committee of the Beijing Tongren Hospital (No.: TRECKY-012). Informed consent was obtained from each patient before the study.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Average CSF at five spatial frequencies for the ERM eyes and the fellow healthy Eyes. Data includes standard error
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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