Decreased photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment junction reflectivity in patients with idiopathic epimacular membrane.

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE: To assess the effects of idiopathic epimacular membrane (IEMM) on retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), photoreceptor inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction, and external limiting membrane (ELM) reflectivities to determine functional alterations in these layers using optical coherence tomography (OCT) image analysis. METHODS: Fifty eyes of 50 patients with untreated IEMM and 41 eyes of 41 age- and sex-matched healthy controls with normal OCT scans were retrospectively reviewed. A single masked physician analyzed OCT images randomly. Reflectivity values of RPE, IS/OS junction, and ELM were obtained using 'plot profile' mode of a medical image processing computer software. RESULTS: The study comprised 50 patients with untreated IEMM and age- and sex-matched 41 control subjects (P > 0.05). Image analysis demonstrated that IS/OS junction and ELM had significantly lower reflectivity in patients with IEMM compared with those of the control eyes (P = 0.008, P = 0.009, respectively). However, RPE reflectivity did not differ between two groups (P = 0.100). Correlation analyses showed no significant associations between reflectivity values and corrected visual acuity (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In patients with IEMM, photoreceptor IS/OS junction and ELM seem to have lower reflectivity, which might indicate impaired functionality even though these layers are not apparently damaged on OCT imaging.

SUBMITTER: Toprak I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4166636 | biostudies-other | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other