Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: Patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) who develop chronic cystoid macular edema (CME) have previously been treated with systemic forms of carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAI’s). This study was done to determine if a topical form of CAI (dorzolamide) would be effective in reducing the macular edema, as evidenced by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Methods: Nine patients with typical RP (ages 16 – 54 years) who had previously been observed to have macular cysts on clinical fundus examination in at least one eye and documented by OCT (n=6) and fluorescein angiography (n=9), were evaluated for participation in the present study. Three patients no longer showed cysts on a most recent baseline OCT and therefore were excluded from participation in the study. The other six patients were started on topical dorzolamide three times a day for four weeks. Repeat OCT was obtained to document any change in the size of the cysts. Results: Three out of six patients (50%), who used the topical medication for at least 4 weeks, showed a decrease in size of the cysts on repeat OCT examination. Of the three patients who did not show any change in the size of the macular cysts, one had decided to use the medication only twice a day.Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that a topical form of a CAI can be efficacious in reducing the size of macular cysts, as seen on OCT examination, in some patients with RP and associated CME. Topical dorzolamide could be considered as a form of treatment in such patients.
Keywords: macula/fovea • retinal degenerations: hereditary • retina