Purpose
To assess macular cone photoreceptors density, spacing and the voronoï in human eyes with birdshot chorioretinopathy versus human healthy eyes.
Methods
We examined 9 eyes of 5 patients with typical birdshot chorioretinopathy who underwent full ophtalmological examination, optical coherence tomographic and adaptive optics fundus images (rtx 1TM, Imagine Eyes, Orsay, France).Images were from 2 degrees of retinal eccentricity, nasal, temporal, inferior, superior to the fovea.
Results
The mean density nasal was 16,5 +/- 5,4 x 103 cones/mm2 (mean +/- SD), temporal 18,1+/- 5,5 x 103 cones/mm2, superior 18,6 +/- 5,3 x 103 cones/mm2 and inferior 18,3 +/- 5,1 x 103 cones/mm2. The mean spacing between cones nasal was de 8,85 μm +/- 1,86 (mean +/- SD), temporal 8,48 μm +/- 1,69, superior 8,5 μm +/- 1,42 and inferior 8,22 μm +/- 1,70. The percentage of hexagonal cells calculated on voronoï diagrams in nasal were 40,1 % (mean), temporal 40,1 %, superior 40,8 % and inferior 40,9 %. Cones densities at eccentricities 2 degrees to the fovea were reduced (p=0,002), spacing between cones was increased(p=0,056), whiled the proportion of hexagonal cells was reduced (p=0,0112).
Conclusions
Adaptive optics images were enabled us to observe in vivo changes in the cone photoreceptors of patients with birdshot chorioretinopathy.