Efficacy of vitrectomy combined with internal limiting membrane peeling to treat pathological myopic macular hole

AIM: To discuss the clinical effects of pars plana vitrectomy(PPV)combined with interal limiting membrane peeling(ILMP)for macular hole(MH)in pathological myopic eyes.METHODS: This is a retrospective case study. Eighteen patients(19 eyes)with high myopic MH diagnosed in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2019 were enrolled in this study. All eyes were grouped for pathological myopia(9 patients 10 eyes)and non-pathological myopia groups(9 patients 9 eyes). All eyes were treated with PPV combined with ILMP surgery. Postoperative follow up was 3-23mo, the efficacy was determined at the final follow up, including BCVA, visual deformation symptoms and macular hole closure.RESULTS: During the final follow up, BCVA was improved in 6 eyes,stable in 2 eyes, more severe in 2 eyes in pathological myopia group, and MH was fully closed in 7 eyes(70%), bareness-closed in 2 eyes(20%)and not closed in 1 eye(10%). In non-pathological myopia group, BCVA was improved in 6 eyes,stable in 2 eyes, more severe in 1 eyes, and MH was fully closed in 8 eyes(88%), not closed in 1 eye(11%). There were significant differences in the axial length between the two groups before surgery, axial length was negatively correlated with the macular hole closure rate at the last follow up(rs= -0.477, P=0.039).CONCLUSION: PPV combined with ILMP for the treatment of MH in high myopia can effectively improve BCVA. However, the hiatal closure rate of pathological myopia patients was lower than that of non-pathological myopia patients.