Restoration of Retinally Induced Aniseikonia in Patients with Epiretinal Membrane after Early Vitrectomy

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in aniseikonia in patients with unilateral epiretinal membrane after surgery. METHODS: This prospective study included 24 patients with unilateral idiopathic epiretinal membrane who underwent vitrectomy. Best-corrected visual acuity and aniseikonia were measured using the Aniseikonia Inspector 3 (Optical Diagnostics, Culemborg, The Netherlands) preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. Aniseikonia was measured in vertical and horizontal directions. RESULTS: Mean age at surgery was 64.2 ± 9.3 years, and mean symptom duration was 12.9 ± 11.4 months. Mean changes in aniseikonia after surgery were 41.0 ± 31.4% reduction in the vertical direction and 41.6 ± 30.8% reduction in the horizontal direction (both P < 0.001). The remaining aniseikonia after surgery correlated with symptom duration (r = 0.565, P = 0.006, and r = 0.812, P < 0.001, for vertical and horizontal directions, respectively). The good preoperative best-corrected visual acuity group showed better improvement of aniseikonia than did the poor preoperative group (P = 0.046 and P = 0.025 for vertical and horizontal directions, respectively). CONCLUSION: Greater improvement of aniseikonia after epiretinal membrane peeling was achieved in patients with better preoperative best-corrected visual acuity and shorter symptom durations. Early vitrectomy helped to reduce aniseikonia in patients with epiretinal membrane.