Incidence and clinical significance of fovea plana in the French population with age-related cataract

Abstract

Background Fovea plana is defined as an immature macula diagnosed by OCT, showing the unusual shunt of the inner retinal layers into the fovea. The incidence of fovea plana in the adult population remains to be determined. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of fovea plana in the French population with age-related cataract. Methods Consecutive patients who underwent cataract surgery in Rothschild Foundation Hospital, France, between January and March 2021, with preoperative analyzable OCT scans available, were retrospectively screened in order to determine the incidence of fovea plana in these population. Ophthalmological characteristics of patients were reported, and detailed. Result Fovea plana was encountered in 20 out of 204 patients during the 3 months corresponding to an incidence of 9.8%. One of those patients had stage 2 fovea plana. Conclusion Although fovea plana is defined as an immature macula, it is not rare in preoperative population. This macular aspect was not associated with poor visual acuity in our cohort.