Purpose: To study the clinicopathologic features of an untreated macular hole in the right eye and a macular hole in the left eye treated by vitrectomy, application of transforming growth factor-beta 2, and gas tamponade.
Methods: The patient, a 73-year-old man with bilateral macular holes, was studied clinically before and after surgical treatment of the macular hole in his left eye. The patient's eyes were obtained postmortem and serially step-sectioned through the macula and optic nerve head for electron microscopy.
Results: Examination of 1-micron thick plastic-embedded sections through the macula of the right eye disclosed a 0.6-mm macular hole with rounded gliotic margins, a thin epiretinal membrane, and parafoveal cystic changes. Examination of 1-micron thick plastic-embedded sections through the macula of the left eye disclosed a 0.25-mm defect in the fovea, which was bridged by glial cells. The glial cells were continuous with a thin hypocellular epiretinal membrane without contraction features on both sides of the defect. The ultrastructural features of the glial cells were consistent with Mueller cells.
Conclusions: Treatment of a macular hole with vitrectomy, transforming growth factor-beta 2, and gas tamponade was followed by complete closure of the macular hole by Mueller cell proliferation.