Macular Epiretinal membranes and their association with sighting dominance laterality and visual performance

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate for associations between sighting
dominance, laterality and handicap in visual performance in patients presenting with unilateral
Macular Epiretinal membranes (ERM).
Material and Methods: Consecutive patients with unilateral macular Epiretinal membranes
and no other ocular pathology were included in this study. A questionnaire and case note review
were performed to determine the patient's mode of presentation, presence of symptomatic
binocular interference, historically dominant eye and whether they choose to undergo surgery.
Results: 44 eyes of 44 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. 21 (48%) of affected eyes were right
sided and(52%) of the were in the historically dominant eye. 76% of ERM's in historically
dominant eyes presented symptomatically compared to 36% in non-dominant eyes. 72% of
patients with ERM affecting their historically dominant eye were aware that the diseased eye
interfered with its fellow during day to day binocular viewing; this contrasts with 21% where the
ERM was in the historically non dominant eye. 23 (52%) patients elected to undergo surgery of
whom 18/23(78%) had ERM in their historically dominant eye.
Conclusions: This study suggests that sighting dominance may be an important determinant of
the visual handicap suffered by patients with unilateral Epiretinal membranes