Long-term natural history of highly myopic eyes with a dome-shaped macula with or without untreated serous retinal detachment: a 4-year follow-up study

Br J Ophthalmol. 2021 Oct;105(10):1405-1409. doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-316629. Epub 2020 Sep 5.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term functional and morphological changes occurring in myopic eyes with a dome-shaped macula (DSM), with or without untreated serous retinal detachment (SRD).

Methods: This prospective, single-centre study enrolled consecutive cases of highly myopic patients with DSM with or without a SRD. Patients underwent complete ophthalmological examinations, optical coherence tomography, axial length measurements and autofluorescence. Follow-up visits were performed with a maximum interval of 6 months for 4 years. Eyes with choroidal neovascularisation were excluded.

Results: Twenty-six eyes from 18 patients (mean age 61.2) were included. At baseline, 13 eyes had SRD and 13 did not. The DSMs were either horizontal (69%) or round (31%). There were no significant differences in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) between eyes with and without SRD during the 48-month follow-up period. Multivariate analysis showed that baseline BCVA was the only parameter among those analysed (age and SRD height) to have a significant effect on the final BCVA (p<0.0001). SRD fluctuated overtime and SRD height was significantly influenced by choroidal thickness (p=0.002). The scleral bulge thickness had no effect on SRD thickness.

Conclusions: BCVA remained clinically stable over 4 years without treatment despite the fluctuations and persistence of the SRDs.

Keywords: Imaging; Macula; Retina; Vision.

MeSH terms

  • Fluorescein Angiography
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Macula Lutea* / diagnostic imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Myopia*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Retinal Detachment* / diagnosis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Visual Acuity