30

Simulate epiretinal membrane (ERM) — a vitreoretinal condition in which fibrocellular proliferation on the inner surface of the neurosensory retina produces tangential traction on the macula, mechanically wrinkling the inner retinal layers and distorting the precise spatial mapping of photoreceptors. The contractile membrane, composed of Müller cell processes, fibrous astrocytes, retinal pigment epithelial cells, and hyalocytes, exerts inward traction that buckles and displaces individual photoreceptors from their normal foveal arrangement — producing the hallmark perceptual symptoms of metamorphopsia (wavy, distorted lines), micropsia or macropsia (objects appear smaller or larger), central blurred vision, and reduced contrast sensitivity. In severe cases, macular traction causes cystoid macular oedema (CME), photoreceptor outer segment disruption, and acquired colour desaturation. Model three clinical stages: cellophane maculopathy (Grade 0/1 — translucent ILM proliferation, minimal symptoms), macular pucker (Grade 2+ — contractile ERM causing definite metamorphopsia and micropsia), and severe ERM with macular traction (Grade 3/4 — retinal thickening, cystoid changes, and significant vision loss). Inspect ΔE colour shift, CIE xy chromaticity desaturation, and image-level visual degradation.

Epiretinal membrane colour science simulation by Auric Artisan.

Base color
ERM grade & settings
Severity / membrane contractility 50%
Image simulation
Upload JPG/PNG (max 1200 × 1200). See how a scene appears with cellophane maculopathy, macular pucker metamorphopsia, or severe traction-induced colour and contrast shifts.
Research notes
Epiretinal membrane (ERM), also termed macular pucker or cellophane maculopathy, was first systematically classified by Gass in 1977. The membrane forms from migration and proliferation of various cell types onto the inner limiting membrane (ILM) of the retina following posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), retinal breaks, vitreoretinal surgery, or intraocular inflammation. The contractile membrane exerts tangential traction that buckles the foveal architecture, displacing photoreceptors from their precise spatial arrangement. The resulting metamorphopsia (distorted, wavy lines) arises from the non-uniform mechanical deformation of the photoreceptor mosaic. Unlike CSC, which causes micropsia through uniform photoreceptor displacement, ERM produces irregular distortion patterns. Colour desaturation in ERM is secondary — it occurs when traction causes photoreceptor outer segment disruption, reduced contrast transmission, or cystoid macular oedema in severe grades.
Swatches
Normal
HEX: — • RGB: — • xy: —
ERM affected
HEX: — • RGB: — • xy: —
ΔE (CIE76)
—
ΔE (CIEDE2000)
—
Deep preview
Normal
ERM (deep)
Chromaticity (CIE xy)
Macular traction chromaticity shift
D65 white point: 0.313, 0.329
Image simulation

Epiretinal membrane simulations model the colour and contrast impact of macular traction using a desaturation + luminance reduction approach in the sRGB colour space, with an additional warm-shifted component for severe CME grades. ERM primarily causes geometric distortion (metamorphopsia, micropsia/macropsia) that cannot be replicated as a uniform colour shift — this tool provides colour science approximations of the photoreceptor sensitivity reduction and contrast loss component for educational and research purposes. ΔE2000 per Sharma et al. (2005). Not for clinical diagnosis — new metamorphopsia or visual distortion requires urgent ophthalmic assessment including OCT.

Multi-condition comparison
5
Compare cellophane, macular pucker, and severe tractional ERM across multiple severity grades. Image simulation applies the traction/colour shift profile to uploaded scenes.