Investigating the Usefulness of Fundus Autofluorescence in Retinitis Pigmentosa

To investigate the relationship between visual field (VF) loss and the rings of the ellipsoid zone (EZ) and autofluorescence (AF) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

Cross-sectional study.

A total of 28 eyes of 15 patients with a clinical diagnosis of RP.

The VF was measured at a 1-degree interval on the horizontal or vertical lines, within the central 10 degrees from fixation, using MP-3 microperimetry (Nidek Co. Ltd., Aichi, Japan), and the sensitivity deviation from the normative database was calculated. OCT was performed, and the EZ was identified. Fundus AF was also measured, and the AF ring was identified. The VF test points were categorized according to their relationship with the EZ line and AF ring. The relationship between mean retinal sensitivity deviations on both the horizontal and vertical lines and the diameters of the EZ line and the AF ring in the corresponding directions was analyzed. The relationship between visual sensitivity deviation and the locations against EZ line and AF rings was also investigated.

The relationship between the visual sensitivity deviation and the locations against EZ line and AF rings.

The diameter of the AF ring had a significantly stronger relationship with mean retinal sensitivity deviation compared with the diameter of the EZ line in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Test point location inside/on/outside the AF ring was significantly related to retinal sensitivity deviation independent of the location inside/outside the EZ line (P < 0.001, linear mixed model).

Visual sensitivity damage is significantly associated with the EZ lines and AF rings. The development of the AF ring is related to the decrease of visual function independent of and stronger than the EZ line.