Can Perifoveal Pseudocyst Area be a Prognostic Factor in Macular Hole Surgery?

To evaluate the effect of perifoveal pseudocysts on the anatomical outcomes of the idiopathic macular hole surgery as a prognostic factor. Twenty-one eyes of 20 consecutive patients with a Gass stage 3 or 4 idiopathic macular hole were enrolled in this prospective study between March 2012 and May 2013. Demographic data, medical history, and ocular examinations were recorded preoperatively and on postoperative day 1, week 1, and month 1, 3, and 6. Five spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) parameters were analyzed: macular hole (MH) basal diameter, MH minimum diameter, MH height, macular hole index, and a new parameter, the area of macular pseudocysts via the software of SD-OCT device at the widest cross section of the MH formation. The mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 0.86±0.29 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) (between 0.4 and 1.3) and improved to 0.64±0.28 LogMAR (between 0.22 and 1.23) postoperatively (P=0.004). There was a statistical significant difference between both MH basal diameter and MH pseudocyst area with anatomical success, respectively (P=0.016 for MH basal diameter, P=0.004 for MH pseudocyst area). The anatomical closure was correlated with MH basal diameter and MH pseudocyst area (P=0.01 and P=0.001, respectively). Spearman correlation rank coefficient between with MH basal diameter and MH pseudocyst area was r=0.493 and statistically significant (P=0.02). Perifoveal pseudocysts seem to be associated with anatomic failure and may be used as a prognostic factor in MH surgery.