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Phenomenology of spontaneous closure in degenerative and mixed type lamellar macular hole

Eye volume 38, pages 315–320 (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Purpose

To the describe OCT imaging characteristics of a cohort of patients showing spontaneously closing degenerative or mixed type lamellar macular holes (LMH) and to compare them to the ones of a sex and age matched group showing stable lesions.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with degenerative and mixed type LMHs showing OCT-documented spontaneous anatomical closure were retrospectively selected from 3 specialized retina centres. An equal number of age and sex matching subjects were randomly selected among patients with anatomically stable lesions.

Results

Eleven (11) spontaneously closing (SC group) and 11 stable (ST group) degenerative LMH with a mean follow up of 4 years were recruited. Hyperreflective inner border (HIB) and linear hyperreflectivity in the outer plexiform layer (LHOP) at baseline were significantly more prevalent in SC group in processed images (respectively p = 0.007 and p = 0.003). A borderline significance in lamellar hole associated epiretinal proliferation (LHEP) at last follow up was detected (p = 0.085). As for mixed type LMH, 10 patients for SC group and 10 for ST group were recruited. LHOP at baseline in processed images was significantly more prevalent in SC group (p = 0.005).

Conclusions

Spontaneously closing LMHs show higher prevalence of HIB and LHOP at the beginning of the closing process, a difference which is enhanced by image processing. These signs might be a signal of microglial and Muller cells coordinated activation.

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Fig. 1: Follow up mode OCT B scan sections showing spontaneous closure of a degenerative LMH during a 4 year follow up.
Fig. 2: Follow up mode OCT B scan sections showing spontaneous closure of a mixed-type LMH during a 4 year follow up.

Data availability

Data is available upon reasonable request to the corresponding author.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Fiammetta Catania, Mario R Romano.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departement of Ophthalmology, Hopital Fondation Adolphe De Rothschild, 29 Rue Manin, 75019, Paris, France

    Fiammetta Catania, Ismael Chehaibou, Youssef Abdelmassih, William Beaumont, Thibaut Chapron & Georges Caputo

  2. Humanitas University, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20090, Pieve Emanuele – Milan, Italy

    Fiammetta Catania & Mario R. Romano

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, Humanitas Gavazzeni - Castelli, Via Giuseppe Mazzini 11, 24128, Bergamo, Italy

    Mario R. Romano & Davide Allegrini

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Créteil 40, avenue de Verdun, 94100, Créteil, France

    Emanuele Crincoli, Alexandra Miere & Eric H. Souied

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  1. Fiammetta Catania
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Contributions

Conceptualization—FC, MRR; Methodology—FC, EC; Software—FC, EC; Validation, MRR, DA, AM, YA, ES, GC; Formal analysis—FC, EC; Investigation—FC, EC, DA, AM, IC, YA, WB, TC, ES, GC; Resources—MRR, ES, GC; Data curation—FC, EC, DA, IC, WB; Writing-original draft preparation—FC, MRR, EC; Writing-review and editing—FC, MRR, EC, AM, GC; Supervision—MRR, GC, ES; Project administration—MRR, GC.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emanuele Crincoli.

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Catania, F., Romano, M.R., Crincoli, E. et al. Phenomenology of spontaneous closure in degenerative and mixed type lamellar macular hole. Eye 38, 315–320 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02681-y

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