CYSTOID MACULAR EDEMA

What is cystoid macular edema?
Cystoid macular edema (CME) is swelling and cyst formation in the macula. The macula is the central part of the retina, used for sharp, central vision.

What are the symptoms of CME?
Most often, patients notice some distortion of central vision. Some patients just notice an overall decrease in vision.

Why does CME cause distortion?
The retina is the nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye. In understanding how the retina works, it is helpful to compare it to the film in a camera that “sends a picture” to the brain. If there is a defect in the film, the picture will also not be perfect.

What causes the swelling to occur?
The specific cause is unknown. CME may occur after any eye surgery, as a result of the blockage of a retinal vein, due to inflammation (uveitis), or due to diabetes.

DIAGNOSIS
How is this condition diagnosed?
In most patients with CME, the physician is able to suspect its presence by the findings of the clinical exam. Often, Fluorescein Angiography is recommended. In Fluorescein Angiography, a water soluble dye is injected into a vein in the arm or hand. The dye quickly passes through the circulation, and serial photographs are taken to evaluate the retinal circulation. This is helpful to the physician in determining what mode of treatment would be most beneficial.

TREATMENT
What are the possible modes of treatment?
Mild CME may resolve spontaneously. Many patients are treated with drops and oral medication. Some patients may be treated with steroid injections.

With treatment, will my vision return to normal?
Each case is different, but often vision will return to the level it had been before the development of this condition. If the CME had been present for a longer period of time before treatment, it is possible that some permanent damage was done to the retina and vision may never completely return.

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