Abstract
Purpose::
To determine whether a correlation is present between the visual acuity and the presence of the photoreceptor inner and outer segment (IS/OS) junction observed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
Methods::
Two hundred-and-thirty eyes of 116 patients with RP were examined by OCT3. The IS/OS junction appeared as a distinct highly reflective line just above the retinal pigment epithelial layer in OCT images, The OCT-determined foveal thickness (FT), and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in logMAR units were studied. Eyes with an epiretinal membrane, macular edema, and poor fixation were excluded.
Results::
The reflective line of the IS/OS was detected in 106 of 230 eyes. The mean age of the patients with the presence of the IS/OS junction was 48.1±14.7 years, and that without the IS/OS was 51.0±13.6 year-old (P >0.05). The mean BCVA of eyes with IS/OS was 0.06±0.23, and that without IS/OS was 0.68±0.56 (P<0.0001). The mean FT of eyes with IS/OS (214±47µm) was significantly greater than that of eyes without IS/OS (180±48µm) (P<0.0001).
Conclusions::
The presence of the IS/OS junction by OCT was associated with better visual acuity and thicker fovea in RP patients. The absence of a IS/OS junction in OCT images may reflect dysfunction of the foveal neuroretinal layer in RP patients.
Keywords: retinitis • photoreceptors: visual performance • visual acuity