Clinical Outcomes of Full-Thickness Macular Holes with Epiretinal Proliferation Without Posterior Vitreous Detachment

<i>Background and Objective</i>: To elucidate the clinical characteristics of full-thickness macular holes (FTMHs) with epiretinal proliferation (EP) without posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). <i>Material and Methods</i>: A retrospective and exploratory study reviewed clinical records of patients with FTMHs with EP without PVD (5 eyes: EP group) and FTMHs without EP without PVD (32 eyes: non-EP group). Swept-source OCT images were analyzed for macular structure. Statistical comparisons were made between clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes. <i>Results</i>: The EP group had two eyes with non-closure of macular holes (40%) (<i>p</i> = 0.01) and three eyes with ellipsoid zone defects (60%) (<i>p</i> = 0.01 compared with the non-EP group). <i>Conclusions</i>: Although limited by a small sample size, this pilot study suggests that the observed trends-such as a lower closure rate and more outer retinal disruption in the EP group-may indicate differences in pathogenesis and surgical outcomes compared to the non-EP group. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution due to statistical limitations. Further prospective studies with larger cohorts are needed to validate these preliminary findings and better understand the underlying pathogenesis.