oedema, cystoid macular (CMO)
Oedema and cyst formation of the macular area of the retina. It may occur as a result of, or be associated with, systemic vascular disease, retinal vein occlusion, diabetic retinopathy, uveitis, hypertensive retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa and following some ocular surgery such as vitreoretinal, photocoagulation, glaucoma procedures and especially cataract surgery. When cystoid macular oedema follows cataract surgery it is called the Irvine-Gass syndrome and it is sometimes accompanied by intraoperative vitreous loss or vitreous adhesion to the iris or to the corneoscleral wound. Visual acuity is affected initially but recovers in the majority of cases. In some cases antiinflammatory therapy may help in restoring visual acuity and in other cases the vitreous adhesion may be disrupted with a Nd-Yag laser.
Millodot: Dictionary of Optometry and Visual Science, 7th edition. © 2009 Butterworth-Heinemann