Spontaneous separation of epiretinal membranes.

Three patients had spontaneous separation of an epiretinal membrane from the macular region. Two of the patients had had argon laser photocoagulation of peripheral retinal lesions three to four months earlier. Vitreous contraction, which had led to the fundus conditions that required photocoagulation, may have created alterations in the vitreous or in the membrane itself, which enhanced the peeling of the membranes. Although photocoagulation may sometimes worsen macular puckers, the presence of an epiretinal membrane near the macula should not be considered an absolute contraindication to peripheral fundus photocoagulation when the pathologic process that is to be coagulated has a substantially worse prognosis if left untreated.