The effect of internal limiting membrane peeling in surgical treatment of combined hamartoma and epiretinal membrane

PurposeThis study was designed to evaluate the effect of internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling in the surgical management of combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium and epiretinal membrane (ERM).MethodsThe records of 11 patients (11 eyes) with ERM of combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium, 22 patients (22 eyes) with ERM who had undergone pars plana vitrectomy with removal of the ERM were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into four groups: eyes without (6 eyes) or with (5 eyes) ILM peeling in ERM of combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium and eyes without (12 eyes) or with (10 eyes) ILM peeling in ERM. Anatomical outcomes, functional outcomes, complications and recurrences were compared between the eyes without and with ILM peeling. Anatomical outcome included the central retinal thickness and subfoveal choroidal thickness from optical coherence tomography (OCT). Functional outcomes included the change in best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA).ResultsCentral retinal thickness and subfoveal choroidal thickness decreased and postoperative BCVA improved in without and with ILM peeling in ERM of combined hamartoma and ERM. But there were no statistically significant differences in central retinal thickness, subfoveal choroidal thickness, BCVA between without and with ILM peeling in ERM of combined hamartoma and ERM. There was no complicated and recurred case in four groups.ConclusionsThe additional ILM peeling in patients with ERM of combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium, ERM doesn't affect the postoperative results in central retinal thickness, subfoveal choroidal thickness and visual acuity.