Indocyanine green-assisted epiretinal membrane peeling evaluated by optical coherence tomography and multifocal electroretinography

Chryssanthi N Koutsandrea, Michael N Apostolopoulos, Dimitrios A Alonistiotis, Marilita M Moschos, Efstratia Georgiadou, Theodora E Kyriaki, Gerasimos T Georgopoulos, Michael N Moschos

Department of Ophthalmology, Medical School of Athens, University of Athens, General Hospital of Athens, Cholargos, Athens, Greece

Objective: To evaluate the anatomical and functional outcome in eyes with indocyanine green (ICG)-assisted idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) peeling by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and multifocal electroretinogram (MFERG).

Design: Prospective, interventional, noncomparative case series.

Methods: Twenty eyes of 20 patients with idiopathic ERM underwent pars plana vitrectomy and ICG-assisted ERM and internal limiting membrane (ILM) removal. Visual acuity (VA), OCT, and MFERG measurements were performed preoperatively and postoperatively at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.

Results: Best-corrected VA (BCVA) improved ≥2 Snellen lines in 70% of our patients at the 12th postoperative month. Mean VA increased from 20/100 preoperatively to 20/40 at 12 months. VA increased significantly at all postoperative examinations, compared to preoperative VA. Foveal thickness measured by OCT decreased significantly at all postoperative examinations. OCT mean values dropped from 472.3 μm preoperatively, to 249.2 μm at 12 months. Preoperative MFERG values significantly improved only at 12 months. OCT measurements and MFERG values did not correlate at any time. OCT values correlated with VA values only preoperatively while MFERG measurements correlated with VA at 12 months.

Conclusions: In our series of eyes with ERM surgery, OCT measurements and VA improved gradually throughout the first postoperative year, while MFERG values showed significant improvement at 12 months.