A lamellar macular hole is characterized by:

• A. Full-thickness hole through retina
• B. Detachment of retina at macula
• C. Macular edema with cavity
• D. Partial loss of tissue in the inner retina at the macula

Answer: (D)

Understanding lamellar macular hole on OCT: it is a partial-thickness defect in the fovea, where tissue loss occurs in the inner retinal layers while the outer retinal layers remain largely intact. This is why the classic description is a partial loss of tissue in the inner retina at the macula. A full-thickness hole would involve disruption through all retinal layers, so that option isn’t correct. Macular detachment describes separation of the retina from its underlying layers, not a tissue loss within the retina itself. Macular edema with a cavity refers to fluid-filled intraretinal spaces, not a defined partial thinning of the inner retina. Thus, the statement describing partial loss of tissue in the inner retina at the macula best fits lamellar macular hole.