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Repaired macular holes not jeopardized by CME
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Cystoid macular edema that develops in eyes with surgically repaired idiopathic macular holes does not appear to influence the risk of macular hole reopening, according to a small retrospective study. The edema also responded well to conventional treatment with topical anti-inflammatory drugs, the authors noted.
Tony H. Huynh, MD, and Mark W. Johnson, MD, reviewed records for six eyes of six consecutive patients treated between January 1997 and October 2000. These patients developed cystoid macular edema (CME) an average of 11.2 months, ranging from 2.5 months to 23 months, after undergoing successful repair of idiopathic macular holes.
In five eyes, CME developed after cataract extraction. In one eye, CME developed after macular hole surgery alone, according to the study.
The edema persisted for 5.5 months on average, ranging from 1.5 months to 17 months. However, despite the CME, the repaired macular hole remained closed in five eyes (83%) throughout the 31.8 months mean follow-up period.
In all cases, treatment with topical anti-inflammatory drugs resolved the CME, the authors reported.
"These results suggest that in most eyes the reparative mechanisms involved in macular hole closure confer sufficient strength to withstand the tensile forces associated with CME," they said.
The study is published in the July/August issue of Retina.