VISUAL OUTCOMES OF PARS PLANA VITRECTOMY WITH EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE PEEL IN PATIENTS WITH UVEITIS

Purpose: To report the outcomes of pars plana vitrectomy with epiretinal membrane (ERM) peel, with or without internal limiting membrane peel, in patients with uveitis. Methods: Retrospective interventional case series of patients undergoing pars plana vitrectomy with ERM peel between January 2005 and March 2012. Sixteen consecutive patients (16 eyes) were identified, with a minimum postoperative follow-up of 6 months. Visual acuity, anatomical outcomes, perioperative control of inflammation, and complications were assessed. Results: The mean age at surgery was 47.3 years (range, 14-68 years), with a mean duration of ERM at surgery of 21.3 months (3-84 months). At 6 months, visual acuity improved in 31.25% of eyes, stabilized in 31.25%, and was worse in 37.5%. The causes of reduced visual acuity postoperatively included severe preexisting macular pathology and unoperated cataract. Conclusion: Pars plana vitrectomy with ERM peel in eyes with uveitis may improve or stabilize visual acuity, especially in eyes with macular traction, but in the absence of traction, outcomes are variable and unpredictable. Prevention of ERM formation by aggressive control of inflammation is important.