Abstract:AIM: To observe the visual improvement and anatomical closure of patients with full-thickness macular hole(FTMH)accompanied by lamellar hole-associated epiretinal proliferation(LHEP)after vitrectomy.METHODS: A retrospective study of clinical cases. A total of 28 cases(28 eyes)of patients diagnosed with FTMH in our hospital between January 2018 and January 2022 were included, and they were divided into 12 cases(12 eyes)in the LHEP group and 16 cases(16 eyes)in the non-LHEP group according to the presence or absence of LHEP. All subjects had undergone vitrectomy. The best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)before and 1a after operation, hole closure, continuity of ellipsoid zone and external limiting membrane(ELM), intraocular pressure(IOP), and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups.RESULTS: Preoperative BCVA(LogMAR)was 0.80±0.17 in the LHEP group and 0.92±0.27 in the non-LHEP group(t=1.406, P=0.172); BCVA at 1a after operation was 0.54±0.14 in the LHEP group and 0.39±0.10 in the non-LHEP group(t=3.399, P=0.002). BCVA at 1a after operation was significantly improved in both groups compared with that before operation(tLHEP group=4.029; PLHEP group=0.001; tnon-LHEP group=7.445, Pnon-LHEP group=0.001); the difference in BCVA(LogMAR)before and after the operation was 0.27±0.16 in the LHEP group and 0.52±0.26 in the non-LHEP group(t=3.153, P=0.002). The hole closed in both groups 1a after the operation, and the closure rate was 100%. The ellipsoid zone closed in 20%(2/12)of patients in the LHEP group and 56%(9/16)in the non-LHEP group(Pellipsoid zone=0.04); the ELM closed in 25%(3/12)of patients in the LHEP group and 69%(11/16)in the non-LHEP group(PELM=0.027). A postoperative transient IOP elevation occurred in 2 eyes of the LHEP group and 3 eyes of the non-LHEP group, respectively. There were no significant cataract or serious complications after the vitrectomy in either group.CONCLUSIONS: Compared with FTMH patients without LHEP, the BCVA improvement after vitrectomy was less in FTMH patients with LHEP. Although their macular hole was closed, the closure rates of ellipsoid zone and ELM were lower, and the duration of continuity interruption was longer, so the prognosis requires further clarification.