ObjectiveTo compare the clinical characteristics of primary multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) and secondary MEWDS. MethodsA retrospective case-control study. A total of 27 patients 29 eyes diagnosed with MEWDS at the Eye Center of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2022 to January 2024 were enrolled in this study. All affected eyes underwent best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), fundus color photography, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), ultra-widefield FAF, fluorescein fundus angiography (FFA), indocyanine green angiography (ICGA), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examinations. Among them, 9 eyes (all primary MEWDS) were examined separately by ultra-wide-angle swept-frequency source OCT angiography (WF SS-OCTA). BCVA was measured using a standard logarithmic visual acuity chart and was converted to the logarithmic minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuity during statistics. Distribution patterns of MEWDS lesions were categorized into optic disc, macular, and sectoral based on ultra-widefield FAF. Based on whether it was complicated by other chorioretinal diseases or whether other chorioretinal diseases appeared before the resolution of MEWDS lesions, the affected eyes were divided into a primary MEWDS group and a secondary MEWDS group, comprising 14 cases 16 eyes and 13 cases 13 eyes, respectively. Among the 13 eyes in the secondary MEWDS group, 8 were complicated by multifocal choroiditis, 3 by punctate inner choroidopathy, and 2 by idiopathic choroidal neovascularization. The clinical and multimodal imaging features were compared between the two groups. Comparison of two sets of count data was performed using Fisher's exact probability test. ResultsThe mean logMAR BCVA was 0.20±0.17 in the primary MEWDS group and 0.44±0.19 in the secondary MEWDS group. The primary group comprised 10 eyes with the optic disc pattern and 6 with the macular pattern, whereas the secondary group had 2 and 11 eyes, respectively. An intact retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-Bruch's membrane (BM)-choroidal capillary plexus (CC) complex was observed in 16 eyes and 13 eyes of the primary and secondary groups, respectively. The choroidal thickness was 229.00 (110.75) μm and 250.00 (117.50) μm in the primary and secondary groups, respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in logMAR BCVA (t=-3.64), distribution patterns of MEWDS lesions, and the number of eyes with intact RPE-BM-CC complex (P＜0.05). In contrast, no statistically significant differences were found in choroidal thickness, multimodal imaging features, or inflammatory scores (P＞0.05). WF SS-OCTA was performed in 9 eyes, the superficial capillary plexus, deep capillary plexus, outer retina and choriocapillaris layer appeared normal. En-face OCT at the layer of the outer retina showed hyperreflective dots and spots disseminated at the optic disc and posterior pole, corresponding roughly to spots on color fundus photography, hyperfluorescence in the early phase of FFA, hypofluorescence in the late phase of ICGA, hyperautofluorescence on ultra-widefield FFA and disruption of outer retina in OCT. ConclusionsThe RPE-BM-CC complex in primary MEWDS was intact and predominantly manifested in the optic disc pattern. In secondary MEWDS, the RPE-BM-CC complex was mostly incomplete and predominantly manifested in the macular pattern.
ObjectiveTo observe the changes of the structure and visual function of the retina in patients with or without the ectopic inner foveal layers (EIFL) and to explore the factors influencing the recovery of visual function in patients with idiopathic epimacular membrane (IMEM).MethodsA retrospective clinical study. From March 2015 to June 2019, 90 patients with MEM who were diagnosed by Ophthalmic Center of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University were enrolled in the study. All patients were examined by best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and frequency domain optical coherence scan. BCVA was recorded by Snellen vision table, and it was converted into the minimum resolution angle logarithm (logMAR) vision. Among 90 eyes, IMEM grade 2-4 was 68 (75.6%, 68/90), 18 (20.0%, 18/90), 4 (4.4%, 4/90), respectively. According to this, the grade 2 was set as group A, and the grade 3 and grade 4 were combined to group B. There was no significant difference in age (t=0.015), sex composition ratio of patients between two groups (χ2=0.060) and the average of central macular thickness (CMT) (F=2.277) (P=0.904, 0.809, 0.141). The difference of average logMAR and BCVA was statistically significant (F=35.913, P=0.000). All patients underwent 25G pars plana three channel vitrectomy with simultaneous removal of epiretinal membrane and internal limiting membrane. BCVA, CMT and improvement of IMEM grading were observed at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after operation. BCVA, EIFL thickness and CMT were compared before and after operation by single factor repeated variance analysis; Fisher exact probability method was used to compare the changes of the anatomical structure of the eyes in the two groups at 12 months after operation.Results1, 3, 6, 12 months after operation, the average eyes of logMAR BCVA in group A were 0.50±0.13, 0.38±0.12, 0.27±0.12, 0.19±0.10. The patients in group B were 0.66±0.14, 0.60±0.13, 0.54±0.14, 0.52±0.14. CMT in group A were 364.82±81.29, 281.65±72.45, 228.55±55.34, 182.84±56.13 μm. The patients in group B were 455.88±69.60, 440.18±68.65, 383.76±65.38, 371.39±66.60 μm. The difference was statistically significant in the two groups (BCVA: F=37.913, 11.479, 24.250, 39.013; P=0.000, 0.002, 0.000, 0.000. CMT: F=10.987, 39.610, 55.789, 79.987; P=0.002, 0.000, 0.000, 0.000). In group A, IMEM was improved to 57 eyes of grade 1 on 12 months after operation. Among the 18 eyes in group B, IMEM was improved to 1 and 3 eyes in level 1 and level 2, respectively, and no improvement was found in 4 eyes in grade 4. The difference was statistically significant (P=0.000) in the improvement of the number of eyes in the two groups.ConclusionsThe patients with IMEM without EIFL have better visual prognosis and reversible anatomical changes. EIFL is an important factor affecting the visual function and anatomical structure recovery after operation.
