Correlation Between The Inner-retinal Irregularity Index And The Ectopic Inner Foveal Layers Thickness And Visual Function In Idiopathic Macular Epiretinal Membrane

Objective:Optical coherence tomography(OCT)and MP-3 microperimetry were used to observe the relationship between changes in the inner-retinal irregularity index(IRII)and the ectopic inner foveal layers thickness(EIFLT)and visual function in patients with idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane(IMEM).Methods:This study is a retrospective clinical study to observe the changes in central foveal thickness(CFT),IRII,EIFLT,best corrected visual acuity(BCVA),mean light sensitivity(MLS),focal stability(FS),with emphasis on analyzing the correlation between the IRII,the EIFLT and BCVA,MLS,and FS.The total number of patients was 24,all of whom were hospitalized at the Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanchang University from February 2022 to September 2022.They were diagnosed as unilateral idiopathic macular epiretinal membrane by OCT and fundus examination.All patients underwent OCT(Zeiss Cirrus HD-OCT5000,Germany)and microperimetry(Nidek MP-3,Japan)examinations preoperative and 1 week,1 month,and 4 months after surgery in the Functional Examination Department of the Affiliated Eye Hospital of Nanchang University.At each examination,they underwent binocular general optometry(far+near).The recorded indicators included IRII,EIFLT,CFT,MLS,FS,and BCVA.Results:1.In the analysis,24 patients were included,with an average age of 67.08 ± 7.40 years.There were 9 males(37.5%)and 15 females(62.5%).During the follow-up period,none of the included patients had postoperative complications like secondary glaucoma,cystoid macular edema,recurrence of the macular epiretinal membrane,and subsequent cataract.2.The BCVA of patients 4 months after surgery was significantly improved than preoperative,with a significant and statistically significant difference(P<0.001).3.Changes in central foveal thickness(CFT),EIFLT,and IRII: CFT decreased in the first month after surgery compared to before surgery(P<0.05),and stabilized from the first month to the fourth month after surgery;The EIFLT in the first month after surgery decreased compared to that before surgery(P<0.05),and stabilized from the first month to the fourth month after surgery;IRII at 4 months after surgery decreased compared to preoperative(P<0.05).4.Changes in the visual function of the microperimetry: MLS increased 4months after surgery compared to preoperative(P<0.01);Patients with 2 ° and 4 ° FS increased 1 month after surgery compared to preoperative(P<0.05),and tended to stabilize from 1 month to 4 months after surgery.5.Correlation between EIFLT and IRII and visual function: There is a positive correlation between preoperative EIFLT and preoperative and postoperative BCVA(Log MAR),indicating that the larger preoperative EIFLT,the worse the visual prognosis;Preoperative EIFLT was negatively correlated with preoperative visual acuity,but not significantly correlated with MLS at any time point after surgery.Preoperative IRII was positively correlated with preoperative BCVA(Log MAR)and postoperative BCVA(Log MAR),while postoperative IRII was positively correlated with postoperative BCVA(Log MAR)at the corresponding time,indicating that the larger preoperative IRII,the poorer the visual prognosis,and IRII was one of the adverse factors for visual recovery in patients with IMEM.Conclusion:1.The postoperative CFT,EIFLT,and IRII in patients with IMEM in Govetto stage3 were all lower than preoperative;BCVA,MLS,and FS were significantly improved after surgery.2.EIFLT and IRII were positively correlated with preoperative and postoperative BCVA(Log MAR)in IMEM patients with Govetto stage3,while preoperative EIFLT was negatively correlated with preoperative MLS.EIFLT and IRII may be effective indicators for evaluating visual function in IMEM patients.