Abstract:

Objective To observe the macular appearance before and after silicon oil removal by spectral optical coherence tomography (SOCT), and investigate the correlation of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with foveal thickness and diameter of macular hole. Methods Twenty patients (20 eyes) underwent vitrectomy with silicon oil tamponade for retinal detachment, including 9 patients with retinal detachment due to macular hole (group A) and 11 patients with retinal detachment without macular hole (group B). Before and after silicon oil removal, ophthalmic examinations including BCVA, SOCT and fundus photography were performed. Results There was no correlation of change of diameter of macular hole with change of BCVA after silicon oil removal in group A (r=－1.02, P=0.394). There was a significantly negative correlation of BCVA with foveal thickness before silicon oil removal in group B （r=－0.75，P=0.008）, while there was no correlation of change of BCVA with change of foveal thickness after silicon oil removal in group B (r=－2.66, P=0.059). Conclusion SOCT is an important noninvasive technique to observe the macular appearance. There is a negative correlation of BCVA with foveal thickness in silicon oil tamponade of patients with retinal detachment without macular hole.

Key words: spectral optical coherence tomography, silicon oil, macular hole, retinal detachment