Correlation between mesopic retinal sensitivity and optical coherence tomographic metrics of the outer retina in patients with non-atrophic dry age related macular degeneration

Abstract

Purpose : To determine the correlation between mesopic retinal sensitivity and optical coherence tomographic metrics of the outer retina in patients with intermediate age related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods : Participants with non-atrophic dry AMD underwent mesopic MP-3 microperimetry and both Nidek and Cirrus spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The volumes of the outer retinal layers were measured on the Nidek SD- OCT scans using the automatic segmentation algorithm of Navis-EX software. In addition, drusen area and volume within a 5mm circle centered on the fovea were determined using Cirrus Advanced RPE Analysis Tool.
The mean retinal sensitivity at 8° and 10° of fixation (5 and 6 mm circles) was calculated for every eye. The correlation between retinal sensitivity and patient age, outer retinal layers volume, drusen area, and drusen volume was assessed.

Results : Thirty-seven eyes from 25 patients with non-atrophic dry AMD were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 76 ±9 years. The mean sensitivity across the whole tested retinal area was 24.9 ± 2.4 dB with a sensitivity of 25.1 ± 2.4 dB within the central 5 mm circle. Drusen area within the central 5mm circle was 0.7±0.89 mm² with a drusen volume of 0.03±0.04 mm³. Retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptor outer segment (RPE+OS) volume was 1.96 ± 0.1 mm³ and outer nuclear layer (ONL) volume was 1.91 ± 0.17 mm³. There was a significant correlation between RPE+OS volume and retinal sensitivity, as well as between patients’ age and retinal sensitivity. There was no significant correlation between drusen area or volume and retinal sensitivity, nor between ONL volume and retinal sensitivity.

Conclusions : In eyes with non-atrophic AMD, retinal sensitivity is correlated with the RPE + OS volume, but not the ONL volume or the area or volume of drusen.

This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.