ABSTRACT
Objective: the purpose of this study was to investigate for associations between sighting dominance, laterality and handicap in visual performance in patients presenting with unilateral Macular Epiretinal membranes [ERM]
Material and Methods: consecutive patients with unilateral macular epiretinal membranes and no other ocular pathology were included in this study. A questionnaire and case note review were performed to determine the patient's mode of presentation, presence of symptomatic binocular interference, historically dominant eye and whether they choose to undergo surgery
Results: 44 eyes of 44 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. 21 affected eyes were right sided and 25 eyes [56%] were considered historically dominant. None of the included patients considered themselves as historically co-dominant. 25 [56%] patients had initially presented symptomatically. In 19 patients the macular Epiretinal membrane was detected as an asymptomatic finding during a routine ocular examination. 22 patients [50%] were aware of binocular interference [that is that the affect d eye interred with its normal fellow in day to day binocular viewing]. 23 [52%] patients elected to undergo surgery
Conclusions: this study suggests that sighting dominance may be an important determinant of the visual handicap suffered by patients with unilateral Epiretinal membranes