Abstract
Purpose :
To evaluate retinal and choroidal vascular changes in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients.
Methods :
34 patients with confirmed diagnosis of RP and 32 controls were recruited in this study. All patients underwent a series of detailed ophthalmologic examinations including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, fundus examination, ocular biometry applying optical low-coherence reflectometry, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT angiography (OCTA ,Optopveu, 3×3mm, 6×6mm; VG-200, 12×12mm), perimetry tests and microperimetry.
Results :
A total of 63 eyes of 34 patients( 17 men and 17 women) with the diagnosis of RP was recruited. The mean age of the patients was 39.5±14.03 years. The mean BCVA of the recruited eyes was 0.36±0.31 (hand move to 1.0). Retinal and choroidal vascular changes were evaluated in this research. Vessel density (VD) of superficial capillary plexuses (SCP) and deep capillary plexuses (DCP) decreased in RP patients. The VD of SCP and DCP in the perifovea region associated with ellipsoid zone (EZ) length (SCP, p=0.037, 95%CI, 6.13-190.0; DCP, p=0.032, 95%CI, -270.0- -13.03). The VD of DCP in the fovea region correlated with BCVA (pearson r=0.504 p<0.001). The VD of SCP in the fovea region correlated with preserved visual field (PVF) (pearson r=0.373 p=0.028). Linear regression revealed VD of DCP in the fovea region and EZ length associated with BCVA (p=0.029, p=0.005; standardized coefficience, 0.327, 0.43). Different degrees of defects were observed in the choriocapillaris(CC) layer with a concentric or lobular pattern. Four degrees of choriocapillaris defects were defined according to the choroidal vascular structure: 0-no defects; 1-have areas of density decreased in choriocapillaris; 2-have areas of exposed small choroidal vessels; 3-have areas of exposed large choroidal vessels. Different degree of CC defects were found to correlate with BCVA (p=0.001, r=-0.556), Humphery indexes (mean deviation, MD, p<0.001，r=-0.673; PVF, p=0.003, r=-0.639) and microperimetry indexes （MS, p<0.001, r=-0.807) greatly. Preserved CC area correlated with MS (p=0.005, r=-0.449).
Conclusions :
Structural and circulatory as well as functional measures are well correlated in RP. OCTA can serve as sensitive evaluating tools in monitoring the progression of RP.
This is a 2020 ARVO Annual Meeting abstract.