Retinitis pigmentosa in Usher syndrome in India: Electronic medical records driven big data analytics: Report III

To describe the clinical presentation and demographic distribution of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in patients with Usher syndrome (USH).

This is a cross-sectional observational hospital-based study including patients presenting between March 2012 and October 2020. In total, 401 patients with a clinical diagnosis of USH and RP in at least one eye were included as cases. The data were retrieved from the electronic medical record database. For better analysis, all 401 patients were reclassified into three subtypes (type 1, type 2, and type 3) based on the USH criteria.

In total, there were 401 patients with USH and RP, with a hospital-based prevalence rate of 0.02% or 2/10,000 population. Further, 353/401 patients were subclassified, with 121 patients in type 1, 146 patients in type 2, and 86 patients in the type 3 USH group. The median age at presentation was 27 years (IQR: 17.5-38) years. There were 246 (61.35%) males and 155 (38.65%) females. Males were more commonly affected in all three subtypes. Defective night vision was the predominant presenting feature in all types of USH (type 1: 43 (35.54%), type 2: 68 (46.58%), and type 3: 40 (46.51%) followed by defective peripheral vision. Patients with type 2 USH had more eyes with severe visual impairment.

RP in USH is commonly bilateral and predominantly affects males in all subtypes. Patients with USH and RP will have more affection of peripheral vision than central vision. The key message of our study is early visual and hearing rehabilitation in USH patients with prompt referral to otolaryngologists from ophthalmologists and vice versa.