Long-term follow-up of lamellar macular holes and pseudoholes over at least 5 years

To assess morphological and functional changes of lamellar macular holes and pseudoholes with or without vitrectomy and membrane peeling with at least 5 years follow-up.

Retrospective study of 73 eyes with lamellar macular hole (LH, n = 28), macular pseudohole (PH, n = 31), and pseudohole with cleaved edges (cleavedPH, n = 14). Forty-six eyes were merely observed without vitreoretinal intervention (observation group), and 27 eyes underwent vitrectomy with membrane peeling (vitrectomy group). Outcome measures were best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and morphological retinal parameters evaluated with optical coherence tomography (TD-OCT and SD-OCT).

Mean follow-up was 8.3 years (5–12); mean age was 67 years (46–84). In the observation group, median BCVA (logMAR) at first exam was 0.2 (LH), 0.1 (PH), 0.2 (cleavedPH) and at last exam 0.3 (LH, p = 0.02), 0.2 (PH), 0.15 (cleavedPH). In the vitrectomy group, median BCVA at first exam was 0.4 (LH), 0.3 (PH), 0.25 (cleavedPH); before vitrectomy BCVA was 0.5 (LH), 0.35 (PH), 0.35 (cleavedPH); and at last exam BCVA increased to 0.3 (LH), 0.2 (PH, p < 0.05), 0.1 (cleavedPH, p < 0.05). At last exam, BCVA of LH was significantly worse compared to PH and cleavedPH. In the observation group, 6 of 29 eyes with PH or cleavedPH showed a spontaneous resolution of the epiretinal membrane with improvement of the foveal contour. Nine of 16 eyes with LH and 2/20 eyes with PH presented lamellar hole-associated epiretinal proliferation (LHEP) in SD-OCT.

LH, PH, and cleavedPH are often stable over a very long time. LH tends to worse visual function compared to PH and cleavedPH. A spontaneous separation of epiretinal membranes in the long-term is not uncommon. Vitreoretinal intervention should be considered in cases with significant visual loss or functional and morphological progression.