Choroidal thickness profile in Retinitis Pigmentosa - Correlation with outer retinal structures

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Imaging
• Vision Science

Background:

• Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited disorders that affect photoreceptor cells.
• Understanding the structural changes in RP, including choroidal thickness (CT), is crucial for disease management.
• Previous studies have yielded conflicting results regarding CT in RP patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the choroidal thickness (CT) of subjects with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) with age-matched healthy subjects.
• To correlate visual acuity with retinal parameters such as central macular thickness (CMT), inner segment/outer segment (IS/OS) junction integrity, external limiting membrane (ELM) integrity, and CT in RP subjects.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-eight eyes from 69 RP patients and 188 eyes from 104 healthy subjects were analyzed.
• Enhanced depth imaging with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) was used for choroidal imaging.
• Correlations between CT, CMT, IS/OS integrity, ELM integrity, and visual acuity were assessed.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in CT was found between RP patients and age-matched healthy subjects.
• Outer retinal structure integrity (ELM and IS/OS junction) and CMT showed significant differences between eyes with good and poor vision.
• CT showed a weak correlation with visual acuity and other retinal parameters in RP patients.

Conclusions:

• Choroidal thickness does not significantly differ between RP patients and healthy controls.
• Outer retinal structure integrity and CMT are more closely associated with visual acuity than CT in RP.
• CT in RP correlates with age but not with visual function or outer retinal integrity.