Vitrectomy and microperimetry of an accidental macular hole caused by Nd:YAG laser

Abstract

A 31-year-old man sustained a 1,064-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser injury to his left eye. One month after the injury, the fundus and optical coherence tomography (OCT) examination demonstrated a full-thickness macular hole of approximately 820 μm in diameter. After vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane peeling, OCT showed closure of the hole and a marked thinning of the foveal depression. After 12 months of follow-up, his visual acuity improved from 20/60 to 20/20. The MP1-microperimeter demonstrated increased retinal sensitivity in the area of the previous macular hole and its adjacent region and improvement of fixation from a relatively unstable status to a stable status. The macular hole remained closed 24 months postoperatively with the best corrected visual acuity 20/20. Our results suggest that vitrectomy can improve the visual function when a macular hole is caused by Nd:YAG laser injury. The improvement in the visual function includes not only visual acuity but also retinal sensitivity and fixation stability that are obtained by using the MP1-microperimeter. © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.