Validity of the Watzke-Allen test after a surgery for idiopathic full thickness macular hole

• Published in: Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand Vol. 95 Suppl 4; p. S87
• Main Authors: Saetang, Saowanit, Bhurayanontachai, Patama, Ratanasukon, Mansing, Jirarattanasopa, Pichai
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thailand 01.04.2012
• Subjects: Aged; Cohort Studies; Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Predictive Value of Tests; Reproducibility of Results; Retinal Perforations - complications; Retinal Perforations - diagnosis; Retinal Perforations - surgery; Treatment Outcome; Vision Disorders - diagnosis; Vision Disorders - etiology; Vision Disorders - therapy; Visual Acuity
• ISSN: 0125-2208

To evaluate the role and validity of the Watzke-Allen test in following up patients after surgeries for an idiopathic full-thickness macular hole (FTMH). A prospective interventional analytical study Patients with idiopathic FTMH were consecutively recruited. A comparative analysis between preoperative and post operative visual acuity, macular hole status and Watzke-Allen slit beam test results was performed using a Chi-square test and a random intercept mixed model. Twenty-one patients with an average age of 65.90 +/- 6.05 years were included in the present study. Three months after surgery, macular holes were surgically closed in 13 eyes (61.9%) and still open in eight eyes (38.1%). An improvement in metamorphopsia, according to Watzke-Allen test results, was found in 61.53% of patients with closed holes and 87.5% of those with open holes. There was no statistically significant correlation between the Watzke-Allen test and the restorative status of a macular hole post surgery The Watzke-Allen test is a useful subjective assessment of visual function for diagnosis in patients with idiopathic FTMH. However the test is not beneficial in the post operative follow-up of patients.