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The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the impact of epiretinal membrane (ERM) on anatomical and functional results in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) treated with intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth (anti-VEGF) injections.Participants in the study were 48 patients with either wet AMD alone (AMD group, n = 27) or AMD and ERM (AMD/ERM group, n = 21). All patients received intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (three monthly injections and PRN thereafter) and were followed up for at least 12 months. All participants had best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurement and spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) at each visit, while fluorescein angiography was performed at baseline and then at the discretion of the physician.There was a statistically significant improvement in BCVA at month 12 compared to baseline in each group (p 0.001 for both groups), while the two groups did not differ significantly regarding BCVA at the end of the follow-up (p = 0.056). Additionally, there was a statistically significant reduction in CRT in both groups at month 12 (p 0.001 for AMD group and p = 0.004 for AMD/ERM group) with no statistically significant difference between the groups (p = 0.183). Patients in the AMD group had a lower percentage of subretinal fluid (25.9%) than patients in the AMD/ERM group (52.4%) at the end of the follow-up, while ellipsoid zone disruption was found to be more profound in the AMD/ERM group (38.1%) than in the AMD group (18.5%). Patients in the AMD/ERM group needed more injections (7.1 ± 2.0 injections) than patients in the AMD group (4.8 ± 1.7 injections).Patients in the AMD/ERM group had a higher percentage of subretinal and intraretinal fluid and ellipsoid zone interruption during the follow-up period. Anti-VEGF treatment appeared to have a beneficial effect in both groups, although the AMD/ERM group needed more injections compared to the AMD group.

Purpose To evaluate refractive changes after anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods Participants in this retrospective study were 37 patients (37 eyes) with DME, who received intravitreal anti-VEGF injections with either ranibizumab or aflibercept. Spherical equivalent refractive power was evaluated before treatment and at least one month after the last injection where no fluid existed. Demographic characteristics, visual acuity, central retinal thickness and the number of injections were recorded and analyzed. Results Changes in visual acuity and central retinal thickness were statistically significant before and after injections. The spherical equivalent refractive power did not differ significantly pre- and post- injections. Conclusions Intravitreal anti-VEGF injections did not seem to affect the refractive power of patients with DME. Therefore, appropriate spectacle correction can be prescribed any time during ongoing treatment with anti-VEGF agents.

Purpose: To document and study the spontaneous closure of lamellar macular holes (LMH) by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: Two women with LMH, 62 and 71 years old, respectively, were followed up with fundoscopy, fundus photography and OCT. Results: In both patients spontaneous closure of LMH was observed 11 and 21 months after baseline examination, respectively. The foveal thickness in case 1 increased from 84 μm at baseline to 162 μm at the final examination. The foveal thickness in case 2 increased from 48 μm at baseline to 148 μm at the final examination. The foveal contour was also restored in both eyes. The foveal morphology was preserved in both eyes during the follow-up period. Conclusion: In both patients the spontaneous closure of LMH could be attributed to the shrinkage of the hole or the release of the tension on the retinal surface, which followed the complete posterior vitreous detachment and separation of epiretinal membrane from the retina.