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Status of papillomacular bundle in optic disc pit associated with maculopathy

Eye volume 39, pages 1805–1811 (2025)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Purpose

To study the status of papillomacular bundle (PMB) in eyes with optic disc pit.

Methods

Electronical medical records and optical coherence tomography (OCT) data of patients with optic disc pit were retrospectively reviewed. The PMB defect was measured on structural en face OCT projections. Length of ellipsoid zone defect (EZD) in the centre of the macula was measured on a horizontal cross-sectional scan passing through the centre of the fovea. Correlation between parameters under study, central retinal thickness (CRT), and visual acuity was calculated.

Results

Thirteen eyes of thirteen patients (seven males and six females, mean age 31.3 ± 11.6 years) with optic disc pit and maculopathy and two eyes of two patients without maculopathy (2 females, 21 and 23 years) were included. The defect of PMB was found in 12 out 13 eyes (92.3%) with maculopathy. In those eyes EZD was found in 11 out of 13 eyes (84.6%). Among 12 eyes with PMB defect, 11 eyes had EZD (92.6%), one eye had PMB defect without EZD, while no eyes had EZD without PMB defect (p = 0.01). Mean PMB defect width was 0.86 ± 0.64 mm. Mean length of EZD was 425 ± 423 µm. The length of EZD and PMB width were highly correlated (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Two eyes without maculopathy demonstrated no papillomacular bundle defect.

Conclusion

Papillomacular bundle defect may be one of the essential characteristics in the optic disc pit with maculopathy and can be associated with the alteration of the central retina in these eyes.

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Fig. 1: Imaging of papillomacular bundle defect in optic disc pit with maculopathy using en face optical coherence tomography.
Fig. 2: Representative example showing absence of defect of papillomacular bundle in eye with optic disc pit without maculopathy.
Fig. 3: Representative example of papillomacular bundle and ellipsoid zone status in optic disc pit postoperatively.
Fig. 4: Intraretinal fluid within papillomacular bundle defect.

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Data availability

The data generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, S.M. Kirov Medical Academy, 21, Botkinskaya str., 194044, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Dmitrii S. Maltsev, Alexei N. Kulikov & Yana A. Kalinicheva

  2. Ophthalmology Department, Careggi University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    Daniela Bacherini

  3. University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Eye Center, 1622 Locust St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA

    Jay Chhablani

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  1. Dmitrii S. Maltsev
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Contributions

Study conceptualization and design: DSM, ANK, DB; data collection: DSM, YAK; data analysis: DSM, YAK, DB; data interpretation: DSM, ANK, JC; drafting of initial manuscript: DSM, JC; critical revision and approval of final manuscript: all authors; study supervision: ANK, JC.

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Correspondence to Dmitrii S. Maltsev.

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Maltsev, D.S., Kulikov, A.N., Kalinicheva, Y.A. et al. Status of papillomacular bundle in optic disc pit associated with maculopathy. Eye 39, 1805–1811 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-025-03761-x

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