The epiretinal membrane (ERM), a fibrocellular layer on the retinal surface, significantly impacts visual function. This protocol outlines a cross-sectional study designed to investigate the pathophysiology of ERM formation by comparing internal limiting membrane (ILM) pathology in patients with and without ERM. ILM and ERM specimens will be collected during pars plana vitrectomy and analyzed using light and transmission electron microscopy to assess morphological and ultrastructural changes. We expect to identify distinct pathological differences in ILMs associated with ERM, including variations in cellular infiltration and membrane structure. These findings may support the hypothesis that ILM alterations contribute to ERM development; alternatively, the absence of such differences would suggest involvement of other pathogenic pathways.
Pothikamjorn et al. (Tue,) studied this question.