What is a Pseudohole?
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A pseudohole is nothing more than a hole within an epiretinal membrane at the fovea, although it may resemble a full-thickness hole. It can be difficult to differentiate between pseudoholes and full-thickness holes, but there are some distinguishable features to look for.
What is a Pseudohole in the eye?
Retinal lesion that simulates macular hole without actual tissue loss.
What causes a macular Pseudohole?
Essentially, a tug-of-war takes place, with the body of the vitreous shrinking while the “stubborn” fibers hold tight to the retina. This tug-of-war can cause a hole in the macula, the area of clearest central vision in the retina.
What causes a lamellar macular hole?
After the vitreous gel comes away from the retina, or at the same time this process happens, a small amount of tissue may be displaced. This displaced tissue may form a lamellar hole, and in many cases may only be diagnosed on a retinal scan.
How quickly does a macular hole progress?
The eye is then filled with a temporary gas bubble, which presses the hole flat onto the back of the eye to help it seal. The bubble of gas will block the vision while it’s present, but it slowly disappears over a period of about 6 to 8 weeks, depending on the type of gas used.
What causes a lamellar hole?
Sometimes macular holes are the result of an injury or a medical condition that affects the eye, including being very near sighted. In most people, it is due to traction on the center of vision that is more likely to occur as we age.
Can retinal holes heal themselves?
Although some macular holes heal on their own without treatment, in many cases, surgery is necessary to improve vision. The surgery eye doctors use to treat this condition is called a vitrectomy. During a vitrectomy, the vitreous gel is removed to prevent it from pulling on the retina.
Can an ERM cause a macular hole?
An ERM can be associated with surface retinal traction that causes lamellar macular changes, partial-thickness macular holes and cystoid macular edema (CME). ERMs rarely cause a full-thickness macular hole, however.
Can macular hole be cured?
A macular hole can often be repaired using an operation called a vitrectomy. The operation is successful in closing the hole in around 9 out of 10 people who’ve had the hole for less than 6 months. If the hole has been present for a year or longer, the success rate will be lower.
What is lamellar macular hole?
Lamellar macular hole (LMH) is a vitreoretinal disorder characterized by an irregular foveal contour, a break in the inner fovea, dehiscence of the inner foveal retina from the outer retina, and the absence of a full-thickness foveal defect with intact foveal photoreceptors.
What does a pseudohole look like on an Oct scan?
In contrast, the OCT scan of a pseudohole will reveal an epiretinal membrane with contraction of the retina and sometimes compression of the retinal layers, but no loss of retinal layers. The term “pseudohole” reflects the fact that although this looks like a macular hole, it is not a hole in the retina.
What is a pseudohole in the eye?
The term “pseudohole” reflects the fact that although this looks like a macular hole, it is not a hole in the retina. Although a pseudohole sometimes develops into a macular hole, there are not definitive statistics on this occurrence.
Can optical coherence tomography (OCT) confirm a pseudohole?
However, a detailed examination, as well as more advanced imaging, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT), can confirm the diagnosis of a pseudohole rather than a macular hole. OCT is a type of medical imaging technology that produces high-resolution cross-sectional and three-dimensional images of the eye.
What does a full thickness macular hole show on an Oct scan?
In a full-thickness macular hole, the OCT scan will confirm the absence of retinal layers, as well as a full thickness defect in the retina. In contrast, the OCT scan of a pseudohole will reveal an epiretinal membrane with contraction of the retina and sometimes compression of the retinal layers, but no loss of retinal layers.