The current understanding of lamellar hole-associated epiretinal proliferation (LHEP) is based on OCT examination. This preretinal proliferation is seen at the edge of the lamina macular hole (LMH) as a meso-reflective substance under linear strong reflection, located between the internal limiting membranes and the nerve fiber layer. LHEP is often associated with LMH, but its histological origin, morphology and OCT characteristics are different from LMH, and its visual prognosis is worse. At present, the relationship between the occurrence of LHEP and clinical prognosis is still under study. This article reviews the pathology, morphology, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of LHEP, in order to enhance clinical understanding of this disease.
ObjectiveTo observe the OCT characteristics of lamellar hole-associated epiretinal proliferation (LHEP).MethodsA retrospective case analysis. A total of 128 patients (133 eyes) with lamellar macular hole (LMH) and 202 patients (212 eyes) with full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) diagnosed by the examinations of spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT) in Department of Ophthalmology, The Third People's Hospital of Chengdu from January 2013 to December 2016 were included in this study. Among 133 eyes with LMH, there were 53 eyes (39.8%) with LHEP and 80 eyes (60.2%) without LHEP. Among 212 eyes with FTMH, there were 12 eyes (5.7%) with LHEP and 200 eyes (94.3%) without LHEP. The mean age of LMH with or without LHEP patients were 70.88±10.98, 64.76±13.60 years old, respectively. The difference of mean age between LMH with or without LHEP patients was statistically significant (U=1521.5, P=0.006). The inner diameter, median diameter and base thickness of the LMH, the height, base diameter and minimum diameter of FTMH were measured by SD-OCT. The traction index (THI) and the macular hole index (MHI) were calculated. An independent sample t-test or rank-sum test was used to compare the inner diameter, median diameter, and base thickness of the LMH in patients with or without LHEP, and χ2 test was used to compare the injury rate of ellipsoid zone.ResultsOf the LMH patients with or without LHEP, the inner diameter were 611.15±209.83 and 521.70±198.05 μm, the median diameter were 961.22±571.09 and 497.01±172.30 μm, the base thickness were 99.83± 38.69 and 154.12±43.17 μm. The differences of the inner diameter, median diameter and the base thickness between LMH patients with or without LHEP were statistically significant (t=2.490, 5.747, －7.395; P=0.014, 0.000, 0.000). Among the 53 eyes with LHEP, There were 50 eyes (94.34%) were injured in ellipsoid zone among 53 eyes with LHEP, while 17 eyes (21.25%) were injured in ellipsoid zone among 80 eyes without LHEP. The injury rate of ellipsoid zone between LMH patients with or without LHEP was statistically significant (χ2=68.126, P=0.000). In 12 eyes of FTMH with LHEP, there were 10 eyes with THI＜1.0 and MHI＜0.5.ConclusionCompared with the LMH without LHEP, the LMH with LHEP has larger inner diameter and median diameter, thinner base and higher injury rate of ellipsoid zone.