Visual functional changes after ocriplasmin injection for vitreomacular traction: A microperimetric analysis

Claudio Furino; Alfredo Niro; Luigi Sborgia; Michele Reibaldi; Francesco Boscia; Giovanni Alessio

doi:10.4103/tjo.tjo_57_20

Visual functional changes after ocriplasmin injection for vitreomacular traction: A microperimetric analysis

Taiwan J Ophthalmol. 2020 Dec 4;11(3):259-265. doi: 10.4103/tjo.tjo_57_20. eCollection 2021 Jul-Sep.

Authors

Claudio Furino¹, Alfredo Niro², Luigi Sborgia¹, Michele Reibaldi³, Francesco Boscia¹, Giovanni Alessio¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, Eye Clinic, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.
² Eye Clinic, Hospital "S. G. MOSCATI", ASL TA, Taranto, Italy.
³ Eye Clinic, University of Catania, Catania Italy.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose is to evaluate functional changes after ocriplasmin injection to treat vitreomacular traction (VMT) by microperimetry.

Materials and methods: Prospective interventional study on patients underwent an intravitreal ocriplasmin injection. Optical coherence tomography, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) test, and microperimetry were performed at baseline, 1 week, 1 and 3 months. Microperimeter recorded retinal sensitivity (RS) and central retinal sensitivity (CRS) at central 12° and 4°, respectively, and fixation as bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA) at 68%, 95%, and 99% of fixation points. Functional parameters were analyzed in patients who had (Group A) or not (Group B) VMT release.

Results: Twenty-one patients including 18 with VMT and 3 with VMT plus macular hole (MH) were treated. Eleven patients achieved VMT resolution including all cases with MH that achieved hole closure. An impairment of BCVA, RS and CRS (P < 0.01; P < 0.001; P = 0.001, respectively) was reported at 1 week followed by a significant improvement (BCVA, P = 0.001; RS, CRS, P = 0.02) at 3 months. The early impairment of visual acuity and sensitivity significantly occurred in Group B (P ≤ 0.01) while their recovery significantly occurred in Group A (P < 0.01). BCEA significantly increased in dimension (68%, P = 0.01; 95%, P = 0.03) at 1 week, subsequently returning to near baseline values over follow-up. Only in Group A, fixation stability significantly improved at 3 months.

Conclusion: Microperimetry confirms an early and reversible functional impairment after ocriplasmin injection regardless VMT resolution. If a greater decrease in function could occur in the eyes without VMT resolution, a better functional recovery could occur in the event of VMT resolution.

Keywords: Fixation behavior; microperimetry; ocriplasmin; retinal sensitivity; vitreomacular traction.