Conditions and diseases

Macular hole

Symptoms and causes

Symptoms and causes

What is it?

With a macular hole, a hole has formed in the middle of the retina (macula, yellow spot). A macular hole leads to a loss of vision. Images will be perceived as distorted.

A macular hole occurs spontaneously, without a clear cause. If a macular hole is not surgically corrected, vision will be impaired further and result in worsened vision but not blindness.

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis

The physician will look into the eye to assess the macula. The pupil must be made as wide as possible to do so. Eye drops are used for this. An OCT scan can be performed to provide an even better picture of a macular pucker. The OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) can be used to get an image of the various macular layers and of any structures on or under the macula. This examination is painless and harmless.

Treatment

More information about the treatment can be found on the vitrectomy page.

Treatment centres and specialisations

Treatment centres and specialisations

Latest publication date: 02/08/2024
Supervising author: Dr Vanwynsberghe David

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Supervising author: Dr Vanwynsberghe David