Correlation between visual sensitivity loss and years affected for eyes with retinitis pigmentosa

To determine the best clinical measures of visual sensitivity for monitoring disease progression in eyes with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

This survey retrospectively studied results from the Humphrey perimetry central 10-2 program for 123 eyes with RP with regard to the correlation between years affected by RP and clinical measures of visual dysfunction, including mean deviation (MD), average sensitivity of 12 test points (CENT12), average sensitivity of 4 central points (CEN4), foveal threshold (FT), and logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR).

All these value correlated more highly with years of symptoms (P < 0.001 for all) than with years since diagnosis. The correlation coefficient with years of symptoms decreased in the order MD, CENT12, CENT4, FT, and LogMAR. The order differed for a subset of 66 eyes with advanced RP having -15 dB or lower MD, and decreased in the order FT, CENT4, LogMAR and CENT12.

Progression in eyes with RP could be well assessed by use of the MD of the Humphrey central 10-2 program in general and by use of FT, CENT4, and CENT12 in cases of advanced RP.