Foveal Crack Sign: An OCT Sign Preceding Macular Hole After Vitrectomy for Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment

Abstract

Purpose: To describe an optical coherence tomography (OCT) sign preceding macular hole (MH) formation after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD).

Design: Retrospective observational case series.

Methods: Patients who underwent PPV for RRD at Osaka Rosai Hospital between January 2014 and December 2017 were examined. First, the medical records of the patients who had secondary MH after RRD repair were examined, and their sequential changes of the OCT images until MH formation were evaluated. Second, the OCT findings and the medical records of all patients who underwent PPV for RRD were evaluated based on the findings of the cases of secondary MH.

Results: Ten eyes of 10 patients who had secondary MH after PPV for RRD were enrolled. Before MH formation, all eyes had parafoveal epiretinal membrane (ERM) and a characteristic OCT sign that was termed a foveal crack sign (FCS), a hyperreflective vertical line in the foveola with a deformation of the fovea. FCS was found 255 ± 217 days after PPV for RRD, and MH developed 232 ± 171 days after FCS appearance. Furthermore, among 518 eyes that underwent PPV for RRD, FCS with parafoveal ERM was found in 3 eyes without succeeding MH after RRD repair. FCS of these 3 eyes were found 363 ± 4 days after PPV for RRD.

Conclusions: In all cases of secondary MH formation after PPV for RRD, FCS with parafoveal ERM was found before MH formation. This sign may predict secondary MH formation caused by ERM traction.