Purpose:
To evaluate the morphology of the corneal sub-basal nerve plexus in Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) patients by means of laser confocal microscopy.
Methods:
Group 1: 23 patients suffering from typical RP (44 eyes, mean age 49,3 ± 11,9 years, 11 males and 12 females) and Group 2: 22 healthy subjects (44 eyes, mean age 42 ± 9,0 years, 11 males and 11 females) were examined by means of Heidelberg Retina Tomograph 2®-Rostock Cornea Module®, HRT2-RCM. The following parameters were evaluated: number of nerve fibers, tortuosity, reflectivity, beadlike formations and number of sub-basal activated dendritic cells. Statistical difference of results was calculated by means of t-test.
Results:
Marked differences between RP patients and controls was shown by examination with laser confocal microscopy (table 1):
Conclusions:
Marked alterations of the nervous structures of the cornea were shown for the first time in patients suffering from RP. Further studies should investigate their significance in the clinical aspects of the disease, in early diagnosis and in identification of carriers.