Macular Pucker - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

What Is a Macular Pucker?

The eye is frequently equated to that of a camera. The front of the eye contains a lens that spotlights pictures within the rear of the eye. This rear part of the eye is called the retina. The retina contains thousands of nerve cells. These nerve cells are focused at the retina's center, the macula. Usually, the macula, a tiny retina spot, can extend into the eye. This extension may be hereditary or may be due to an injury. The macula, which extends, can cause the pulling of the retina. These are called epiretinal films, which can pull on the macula, prompting mutilation in vision. While this pulling makes the macula wrinkle, it is called macular pucker. In certain eyes, this will meaningfully affect vision, yet in others, it very well may be huge, prompting misshaped vision.

What Are the Causes of Macular Pucker?

Age is the most well-known reason for macular pucker. As the person ages, the vitreous humor starts to contract and pull away from the retina. Generally, the vitreous humor pulls away without any issues. In any case, now and again, the vitreous humor can adhere to the retina. Scar tissue structures make the retina and macula flaw or lump.

What Are the Risk Factors for Macular Pucker?

The various risk factors for macular pucker include

1. Aging: Age is one of the primary risk factors for macular pucker. Due to the shrinking of the virtuous medium with age, macular pucker is a common phenomenon.

2. Posterior Vitreous Detachment: Posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) is a condition wherein the vitreous media detaches from the retina. This condition can cause macular pucker in some conditions.

3. Retinal Detachment: Retinal detachment is a condition wherein the retina detaches from its surrounding layers. This can be one of the risk factors for macular pucker.

4. Swelling: Swelling inside the eye can act as a risk factor for macular pucker as it may cause the layers to expand.

5. Injury to the Eye: Any injury to the eye can act as a risk factor for macular pucker. Injury to the eye can cause retinal detachment or other conditions that can act as a risk for macular pucker. Injury to the eye can also cause scar tissue formation.

6. Blood Vessel Abnormalities: Any abnormalities in the blood vessels of the retina can act as a risk factor for macular pucker.

What Are the Symptoms of Macular Pucker?

Vision loss is the most common symptom of macular pucker. The loss of vision can vary from mild to severe. The occurrence of severe vision loss is uncommon. Individuals with a macular pucker might see that their vision is foggy or somewhat mutilated, and straight lines can seem wavy. They might experience issues in seeing fine detail and perusing little print. There may be a hazy situation in the focal point of the vision or a vulnerable side.

Can Macular Pucker Worsen Over Time?

A macular pucker can worsen over time. It usually progresses over some time. It generally affects one eye first and then the other.

Are Macular Pucker and Macular Hole the Same?

A macular pucker and a macular opening are various circumstances, even though the two results from a similar explanation: the pulling on the retina from a contracting vitreous medium. While the "pulling" causes tiny harm, the retina can mend itself; scar tissue, or a macular pucker, can be the outcome. If the contracting glass pulls excessively hard, it can tear the retina, making a macular, more serious opening. The two circumstances have comparative side effects - twisted and obscured vision.

How to Diagnose Macular Pucker?

To check for macular pucker, visualization of the retina is important. This is possible by dilating the eyes. After dilating, various methods and tests are done to visualize the macula and the retina. The eye can be visualized using optical coherence tomography (OCT). This machine helps in clicking pictures of the retina and macula. These pictures provide great details and help in visualizing the eye.

How Is Macular Pucker Treated?

• The specialist could suggest not treating macular pucker if it does not lead to critical issues with vision. The individual may suggest that the patient have eye assessments more habitually than expected to ensure that the epiretinal films do not change and bring on some issues. A more inconvenient macular pucker can be treated with a medical procedure.

• If the symptoms are mild, then the doctor may prefer treatment such as eyeglasses. Eye drops and lasers may not be useful for macular pucker.

• If the symptoms are severe, then a surgery called vitrectomy is performed. In this surgery, the part of the vitreous medium that forms the scar tissue is removed. This surgery causes the flattening of the macula. However, the vision may not be completely recovered.

How Successful Is Vitrectomy?

Medical procedure to fix a macular pucker is extremely sensitive, and keeping in mind that vision works much of the time, it does not necessarily, in every case, get back to business as usual. Certain individuals appreciate vision improvement, some less. Much of the time, patients notice a critical improvement in vision bending. Recuperation of vision can require as long as 90 days.

What Are the Complications of Vitrectomy?

The following may be the complications of vitrectomy:

• Infection due to the surgery.

• Bleeding within the eye.

• Retinal detachment.

• Recurrence of macular pucker.

• Cataract.

Conclusion:

Macular pucker is a condition that may be caused due to various factors. It may also be caused due to scar tissue formation. Mild cases of macular pucker do not require treatment. Severe cases with vision loss require a surgery called vitrectomy. This surgery can stop the progression of the disease. However, the vision may only partially be restored. A regular eye checkup can prevent the occurrence of this condition. It may also aid in the timely detection of the condition. Hence a regular eye examination can prevent the progression of many eye conditions.