Persistent indocyanine green fluorescence after vitrectomy for macular hole.

Abstract

To evaluate the persistence of indocyanine green (ICG) autofluorescence after ICG-assisted internal limiting membrane peeling for macular hole surgery. Interventional case series. Retrospective institutional study. Four eyes of four patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy with ICG-assisted internal limiting membrane peeling for macular hole repair were imaged for ICG autofluorescence at 795 nm with a scanning laser ophthalmoscope. The main outcome measure was persistence of ICG autofluorescence. All four patients demonstrated persistent ICG fluorescence in the central macula up to 8 months postsurgery. Persistent ICG signal was noted in the macula months after vitrectomy for macular hole surgery. The persistence of ICG autofluorescence could be responsible for delayed photochemical damage to the retinal pigment epithelium. Further studies must quantify the risk of retinal pigment epithelium injury when ICG-assisted internal limiting membrane peeling is used in macular hole surgery.