Spontaneous Conversion of Lamellar Macular Holes to Full-Thickness Macular Holes: Clinical Features and Surgical Outcomes

Purpose: To describe the clinical features and surgical outcomes of patients experiencing a spontaneous conversion of a lamellar macular hole (LMH) to a full-thickness macular hole (FTMH). Design: Retrospective, multicenter, observational case series. Participants: Patients with LMH who experienced a spontaneous conversion to FTMH and underwent FTMH surgery. Methods: Clinical charts and OCT features of 20 eyes of 20 patients were reviewed. Main Outcome Measures: OCT features and surgical outcomes of FTMH derived from LMH. Results: The mean baseline visual acuity (VA) was 0.21 ± 0.19 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) (20/32 Snellen equivalent [SE]). Epiretinal proliferation was noted in 18 eyes (90%), and 14 eyes (75%) had an epiretinal membrane. At the diagnosis of FTMH, the mean VA decreased to 0.61 ± 0.50 logMAR (20/81 SE) (P = 0.001). The mean FTMH diameter was 224.4 ± 194.8 μm, with 15 (75%) small (≤250 μm), 2 (10%) medium (>250–≤400 μm), and 3 (15%) large (>400 μm) FTMHs. Eighteen (90%) FTMHs were sealed after 1 surgery, and 2 (10%) required an additional procedure. At the last follow-up, the mean VA was increased to 0.29 ± 0.23 logMAR (20/38 SE) (P = 0.003), but did not significantly differ from the baseline VA (P = 0.071). Conclusions: Patients with LMH may develop an FTMH with no evidence of vitreomacular traction. A tangential traction from an epiretinal membrane may contribute to its genesis, but a progressive loss of retinal tissue and an inherent weakness of the foveal architecture in LMH eyes could be sufficient. Most FTMHs derived from LMH had a small diameter, showed epiretinal proliferation, showed limited retinal hydration, and were associated with relatively poor surgical outcomes compared with idiopathic FTMH.