OCTA Biomarkers Underlying Structure–Function Correlations in Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane: A Systematic Review

TL;DR

This review explores how OCTA biomarkers relate to visual function in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane, aiming to improve understanding of surgical outcomes.

Contribution

The study systematically reviews OCTA-derived biomarkers and their correlations with visual function in idiopathic epiretinal membrane.

Findings

The most studied OCTA biomarkers include foveal avascular zone area and vessel density.

OCTA metrics show potential as indicators of disease severity and surgical prognosis in iERM.

Heterogeneity in OCTA methodology limits the comparability of findings across studies.

Abstract

Background: Idiopathic epiretinal membrane (iERM) is a common retinal pathology in elderly patients, thought to originate primarily from an anomalous process of posterior vitreous detachment. The standard treatment is pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) with membrane peeling. No consensus exists regarding the optimal timing of surgery, nor is it clear which patients are most likely to benefit. Given that iERM profoundly affects retinal vascular morphology and function, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has emerged as a valuable tool for identifying potential biomarkers. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the available evidence on OCTA-derived biomarkers and their correlations with visual function before and/or after surgical intervention in iERM, with a particular focus on their prognostic value for postoperative outcomes. Methods: A systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE and Scopus was conducted on the 20th of May 2025 in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eligible studies included patients with iERM undergoing vitreoretinal surgery, used OCTA for pre- and/or postoperative assessment, investigated structure–function correlations, and were designed as clinical trials, observational studies, or case series with more than 10 patients. Exclusion criteria were studies with ≤10 cases, absence of separate iERM analysis, lack of surgical intervention, or non-English language. Data extraction covered study design, demographics, surgical approach, OCTA device, follow-up, OCTA biomarkers, and structure–function outcomes. Risk of bias in observational studies was assessed using the National Institute of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results: The search yielded 1053 records, of which 71 underwent full-text review and 43 met eligibility criteria. All included studies were observational, encompassing 1958 eyes from 1953 patients. The most frequently investigated biomarkers were the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area and related parameters, vessel density (VD), and foveal density 300 (FD-300). Additional studies evaluated average vessel length (VL), blood flow area, vessel length density (VLD), vessel tortuosity (VT), fractal dimension (FD), and perfusion capacity (PC). Conclusions: By consolidating current evidence, this systematic review provides a comprehensive overview of structure–function correlations in iERM and highlights the potential of OCTA-derived metrics as biomarkers of disease severity and surgical prognosis. These findings help clarify underlying mechanisms of visual decline and establish the context for further research. Nonetheless, interpretation is limited by the observational design of all included studies and by heterogeneity in OCTA methodology and nomenclature, underscoring the need for standardization to improve comparability and foster greater coherence across studies. No funding was provided for this review.

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