Abstract:AIM: To observe the changes in macular thickness after phacoemulsification in cataract patients with asymptomatic epiretinal membrane.
METHODS: This was a prospective study. Clinical data of cataract patients with asymptomatic epiretinal membrane treated in the hospital from August 2023 to August 2025 were collected. Patients were followed up for 3 mo postoperatively. Best corrected visual acuity(BCVA), central foveal thickness(CFT), and macular thickness in the central 3 mm area were compared before and after surgery.
RESULTS:A total of 87 patients(90 eyes)with cataract and asymptomatic epiretinal membrane were enrolled. One patient(1 eye)was lost to follow-up at 1 mo postoperatively, with a loss rate of 1%. Among the 86 patients(89 eyes)who completed the follow-up, there were 38 males and 48 females, with a mean age of 76.51±5.23 y. The mean axial length was 23.32±0.27 mm. Eighty-five eyes(95.5%)had nuclear hardness of grade Ⅲ or above. Preoperative CFT was 344.56±54.13 μm, and preoperative macular thickness in the central 3 mm area was 351.25±32.32 μm. At 1 wk, 1 and 3 mo postoperatively, BCVA improved compared with preoperative values(all P<0.05), while CFT and macular thickness in the central 3 mm area increased significantly(all P<0.05). At 1 wk postoperatively, pseudocystoid macular edema(PCME)occurred in one eye. After treatment with prednisolone acetate eye drops 4 times daily and bromfenac sodium eye drops 2 times daily for 2 mo, edema fully resolved, visual acuity recovered to the average postoperative level, and no metamorphopsia was observed.
CONCLUSION: Phacoemulsification is safe and effective for cataract patients with asymptomatic epiretinal membrane.
