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Spontaneous separation of epiretinal membrane in young subjects: personal observations and review of the literature

  • Clinical Investigation
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Abstract

Background

Idiopathic epiretinal membranes (ERM) grow on the surface of the internal limiting membrane (ILM) and are a very uncommon condition in young subjects.

Methods

We report six young subjects with ERM and describe the spontaneous separation of the membranes. The functional and anatomical recovery was assessed by Snellen visual acuity, Amsler grid and funduscopy. Selected cases were additionally assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Results

All subjects initially claimed a sudden, unilateral, reduction in visual acuity (VA) with severe distortion at the age of 15–30 years. No ocular trauma or disease was ascertained in any case. Initial fundus examination demonstrated a gray–whitish ERM with translucent stress lines over the macula. Visual recovery occurred in all cases after resolution of the ERM. Sequential OCT demonstrated the successive peeling of an ERM accompanied by normalization of foveal thickness.

Conclusions

Young subjects should be counseled about the favorable prognosis for maintaining good vision and possible spontaneous membrane separation. Conservative observation is advocated if the visual disturbance is located temporally, as functional recovery and spontaneous membrane separation may occur. When the contracting forces of the immature ERM are stronger than its adhesions to the retina, the membrane may separate spontaneously.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge Prof. Dr. Busse, University of Münster, who supported us with images in some patients. Dr. Rodrigues is supported by the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst (DAAD), grant no. A/01/16770, and the Fehr Foundation Marburg.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Philipps University Marburg, Robert-Koch-Strasse 4, 35037 , Marburg, Germany

    Carsten H. Meyer, Eduardo B. Rodrigues, Stefan Mennel, Jörg C. Schmidt & Peter Kroll

Authors
  1. Carsten H. Meyer
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  2. Eduardo B. Rodrigues
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  3. Stefan Mennel
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  4. Jörg C. Schmidt
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  5. Peter Kroll
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carsten H. Meyer.

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Dedicated to Professor Dr. Horst Laqua on the occasion of his 60th birthday

Presented in part at the annual meeting of BAYOG, Munich, July 2003

Proprietary interest: none

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Meyer, C.H., Rodrigues, E.B., Mennel, S. et al. Spontaneous separation of epiretinal membrane in young subjects: personal observations and review of the literature. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 242, 977–985 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-004-0934-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-004-0934-7

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