Currently the term lamellar macular hole (LMH) alludes to a wide spectrum of macular conditions including distinct clinical entities with different pathomorphologies. Classifications into subtypes, tractional and degenerative or based on the associated preretinal tissue had been proposed. Recent insights suggest that only lesions with tissue loss should be considered ‘true’ LMH and not those morphological changes caused by tractional forces. Inclusion of lesions with foveoschisis with contractile epiretinal membrane (ERM) in earlier studies on LMHs has resulted in imprecise information about its clinical course. This review provides an overview of the evolving concepts of LMHs and analyses its natural history from study cases in previously published literature.

Foveoschisis in association with contractile epiretinal membrane is frequently misdiagnosed as lamellar macular hole (LMH). The progression of true LMH with associated epiretinal proliferation to full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) is probably underestimated. We report a case of bilateral FTMH progressing from LMH with epiretinal proliferation. A 72-year-old male presented with increased blurring of vision in left eye. Visual acuity was 20/40 in right and 20/50 in left eye. Examination showed FTMH with epiretinal proliferation in left eye and LMH with epiretinal proliferation in right eye. Surgery of the left eye achieved successful closure of macular hole with improvement in vision. He presented again a month later with further deterioration of vision in right eye. Examination revealed FTMH in right eye with epiretinal proliferation. Surgery of the right eye also achieved optimum functional and morphological results. This case demonstrates that LMH with epiretinal proliferation may have a propensity to progress to FTMH.

A 21-year-old female presented with decreased vision in the right eye. Best corrected visual acuity was 6/60 in the right eye and 6/6 in the left eye. Funduscopy of the right eye revealed a subfoveal nodule with surrounding exudates and temporal peripheral retinal vessel telangiectasia with exudation. The patient underwent retinal laser in the areas of telangiectatic vessels and capillary non-perfusion as seen on fundus fluorescein angiography. It was combined with an intravitreal injection of bevacizumab which was repeated twice at monthly intervals. The macular lesion and peripheral vessels along with subretinal exudates showed resolution during the course of treatment. However, the patient was lost to follow-up and returned 5 months later when examination revealed increased macular fibrosis. In the literature, the reported presentation of subfoveal nodule in Coats disease is during the first decade. It progresses to macular fibrosis within a few months. This case illustrates that subfoveal nodule before macular fibrosis in Coats disease may present later, even up to the third decade.