Results of Surgical Management of Epiretinal Membrane Due to Combined Hamartoma of the Retina and Retinal Pigment Epithelium in Children

Katargina LA, Denisova EV, Osipova NA* and Getadaryan VR

Helmholtz National Medical Research Center of Eye Diseases, 14/19 Sadovaya Chernogriazskaya St., Moscow, Russia

*Corresponding Author: Osipova NA, Helmholtz National Medical Research Center of Eye Diseases, 14/19 Sadovaya Chernogriazskaya St., Moscow, Russia.

Received: September 08, 2025; Published: October 24, 2025

Abstract

Purpose: To study of the effectiveness of microinvasive vitrectomy with membrane peeling for epiretinal membrane (ERM) due to combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium (CHRRPE) in children.

Material and Methods: The object of the study was 14 children aged 1-8 years with a CHRRPE. 8 children (9 eyes) underwent 23G microinvasive vitrectomy with membrane peeling. In addition to the standard ophthalmological examination, all children underwent optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the macula before and during the follow-up period ranged from 2 months to 4 years.

Results: Improvement of the vitreoretinal contour was noted in all cases. The maximum retinal thickness in the hamartoma area before surgery ranged from 476 to 841 μm (average, 691 μm), after surgery - from 414 to 607 μm (average, 535 μm). The best corrected visual acuity before surgery ranged from 0.03 to 0.3 (on average, 0.15), after surgery it increased by 0.01 to 0.4 in 5 eyes, remained stable in 2 eyes, and decreased by 0.02 and 0.05 in 2 eyes.

Conclusion: Microinvasive vitrectomy with membrane peeling is an effective intervention that stabilizes or improves visual functions in patients with macular ERM due to CHRRPE.

 Keywords: Combined Hamartoma of the Retina and Retinal Pigment Epithelium; Children; Epiretinal Membrane; Microinvasive Vitrectomy; Optical Coherence Tomography

References

1. Gass JD. “An unusual hamartoma of the pigment epithelium and retina simulating choroidal melanoma and retinoblastoma”. Transactions of the American Ophthalmological Society 71 (1973): 171-183. discussions 184-185.
2. Schachat AP., et al. “Combined hamartomas of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium”. Ophthalmology 12 (1984): 1609-1615.
3. Ledesma-Gil G., et al. “Presumed Natural History of Combined Hamartoma of the Retina and Retinal Pigment Epithelium”. Ophthalmology Retina 5 (2021): 1156-1163.
4. Shields CL., et al. “Combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium in 77 consecutive patients visual outcome based on macular versus extramacular tumor location”. Ophthalmology12 (2008): 2246-2252.e3.
5. Font RL., et al. “Combined hamartoma of sensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium”. Retina4 (1989): 302-311.
6. Zhang X., et al. “Description and surgical management of epiretinal membrane due to combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium”. Advances in Ophthalmology Practice and Research 1 (2022): 9-14.
7. Gupta R., et al. “Peripapillary Versus Macular Combined Hamartoma of the Retina and Retinal Pigment Epithelium: Imaging Characteristics”. American Journal of Ophthalmology 200 (2019): 263-269.
8. Yarovoy AA., et al. “Combined hamartomas of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium: clinical cases”. Bashkortostan Medical Journal4 (2020): 47-51.
9. Shields JA., et al. “Tumors and related lesions of the pigment epithelium”. Intraocular Tumors: an Atlas and Textbook (3^rd ed) Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Philadelphia, PA, USA (2016): 1188-319.
10. Shields CL. “Optical coherence tomographic Findings of combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium in 11 patients”. Archives of Ophthalmology12 (2005): 1746.
11. Arepalli S., et al. “Combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium: Findings on enhanced Depth imaging optical coherence tomography in Eight eyes”. Retina 11 (2014): 2202-2207.
12. Kumar V., et al. “Omega sign: a distinct optical coherence tomography finding in macular combined hamartoma of retina and retinal pigment epithelium”. Ophthalmic Surgery Lasers Imaging Retina2 (2017): 122-125.
13. Arrigo A., et al. “Optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography evaluation of combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium”. Retina5 (2019): 1009-1015.
14. Kumar V. “Spontaneous separation of ERM in combined hamartoma of retina and retinal pigment epithelium”. Ophthalmology 9 (2017): 1402.
15. McDonald HR., et al. “Clinicopathologic results of vitreous surgery for epiretinal membranes in patients with combined retinal and retinal pigment epithelial hamartomas”. American Journal of Ophthalmology6 (1985): 806-813.
16. Bonnin S., et al. “Long-term outcome of epiretinal membrane surgery in young children”. Retina 3 (2016): 558-564.

Citation

Citation: Osipova NA., et al. “Results of Surgical Management of Epiretinal Membrane Due to Combined Hamartoma of the Retina and Retinal Pigment Epithelium in Children”.Acta Scientific Medical Sciences 9.11 (2025): 30-34.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2025 Osipova NA., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.