Long-term follow-up of unoperated macular holes

Objective: To investigate the anatomic and visual acuity outcomes among patients with unoperated macular holes and at least 5 years of follow-up. Design: Retrospective, noncomparative case series from an institutional practice setting. Participants: All patients with unoperated full-thickness macular holes evaluated at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute between January 1, 1968 and December 31, 1993 and observed for at least 5 years. Methods: Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from patients' medical records and ophthalmologic photography records. For patients with bilateral macular holes, only one eye was included. Main Outcome Measures: Visual acuity and clinical features on initial examination, at 5 years, and at final follow-up. Results: The study included 65 eyes of 65 patients with a median age of 65 years (range, 52-85 years) and a median follow-up of 9.3 years (range, 5-29 years). On initial examination at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the macular hole was stage 2 in 15 eyes (24%), stage 3 in 23 eyes (37%), and stage 4 in 25 eyes (40%). At final follow-up, the macular hole was stage 3 in 10 eyes (16%) and stage 4 in 53 eyes (84%). Visual acuity was 20/200 or worse in 35 eyes (54%) on initial examination, in 43 eyes (74%) at 5 years, and in 53 eyes (82%) at final follow-up. Poorer visual acuity on initial examination was a significant predictor of poorer final vision (P < 0.01). Other accompanying clinical features such as the presence of operculum, posterior vitreous detachment, and epiretinal membrane were not significantly associated with final vision. Throughout follow-up, there was a redistribution and reduced number of yellow nodular opacities at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium at the base of the macular holes and the development of retinal pigment epithelial atrophy around the macular holes. Conclusions: Long-term follow-up of unoperated macular holes demonstrates progression in hole size and stage, vision loss which generally stabilizes at the 20/200 to 20/400 level, a redistribution and reduced number of yellow nodular opacities at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium, and the development of retinal pigment epithelial atrophy surrounding the macular hole, resulting in a "bull's-eye" macular appearance.