Clinicopathologic correlation of an eye after surgical removal of an epiretinal membrane.

An epiretinal membrane causing macular pucker was surgically removed from an eye that had previously undergone a scleral buckling procedure for retinal detachment. The eye was obtained postmortem and studies by light and electron microscopy disclosed a large area of retina that was void of internal limiting membrane (ILM). The presence of extremely thin ILM, and rare segments of basement membrane with an increased number of attachment plaques of Mueller cells near the margin of the area of ILM loss, suggested a limited capacity for regeneration of the ILM. Minor recurrence of fibrous astrocyte proliferation along the inner surface of the area devoid of ILM was observed. Recurrence of epiretinal membrane, without contraction changes, occurred at the margins of the area from which ILM had been removed.