Diabetic vitreopapillary traction and macular oedema

Purpose To describe an association between optic disc traction and diabetic macular oedema (DME) unresponsive to laser treatment. Methods A retrospective review of all patients with DME who attended our clinic between September 2001 and November 2003 was undertaken. The patients had undergone ophthalmic history and examination, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the macular area and optic nerve head (ONH). A total of 10 nonvitrectomized eyes that were found to have an elevation of the ONH secondary to vitreopapillary traction were included in the analysis. Eyes with additional traction at the posterior pole were excluded. Results Out of the 10 eyes ( seven patients, aged 47 - 79 years) with vitreo-papillary traction, nine had previously undergone argon laser photocoagulation(s) for DME. In seven eyes ( seven patients), OCT verified the vitreopapillary traction as the sole traction, whereas in the fellow eyes of three patients vitreomacular traction was evident as well. In the seven eyes with only vitreopapillary traction, OCT demonstrated parapapillary serous retinal detachment in two eyes and a diffuse DME in all eyes ( mean foveal thickness, 396 +/- 144 mu m). Maximal thickness of the papillo-macular bundle site was adjoining the elevated ONH in three eyes, and was maximal at the central macula in the other four eyes. Ultrasonography ( n = 5) revealed an incomplete detachment of the posterior hyaloid in each, adherent only at the ONH. Conclusions Diffuse DME unresponsive to laser treatment may be associated with vitreopapillary traction. Further studies should indicate whether these two phenomena could suggest a cause and effect in such eyes.