RHOMBUS DEFORMATION OF RETINAL LATERAL DISPLACEMENT AFTER EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE REMOVAL REVEALED BY DIFFEOMORPHIC IMAGE REGISTRATION.

PURPOSE: To establish an analysis method using diffeomorphic image registration and evaluate microvascular displacement through epiretinal membrane (ERM) removal.

METHODS: Medical records of eyes that underwent vitreous surgery for ERM were reviewed. Postoperative optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) images were converted to the corresponding preoperative images according to a configured algorithm using diffeomorphism.

RESULTS: Thirty-seven eyes with ERM were examined. Measured changes in the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area showed a significant negative correlation with central foveal thickness (CFT). The average amplitude of microvascular displacement calculated for each pixel was 69 ± 27 µ m in the nasal area, which was relatively smaller than that in other areas. The vector map, which included both the amplitude and the vector of microvasculature displacement, showed a unique vector flow pattern called the rhombus deformation sign in 17 eyes. Eyes with this deformation sign showed less surgery-induced changes in the FAZ area and CFT and a milder ERM stage than those without this sign.

CONCLUSION: The authors calculated and visualized microvascular displacement using diffeomorphism. The authors found a unique pattern (rhombus deformation) of retinal lateral displacement through ERM removal, which was significantly associated with the severity of ERM.