Association between abnormal autofluorescence and photoreceptor disorganization in retinitis pigmentosa.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between the third high-reflectance band on high-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence (AF), and kinetic perimetry results in patients with typical retinitis pigmentosa (RP).


METHODS
Retrospective, observational case series.


METHODS
Thirty-four patients with typical RP who were referred to our institute were examined, with a diagnosis made by full-field electroretinography. We evaluated the fundus AF and the third high-reflectance band by high-resolution OCT, both qualitatively and quantitatively. We investigated whether the vertical length of the AF diameter or the third high-reflectance band correlated with Goldmann kinetic perimetry results.


RESULTS
We classified three types of abnormal fundus AF: ring AF, central AF, and the absence of both patterns. In eyes with ring AF, the length of the third high-reflectance band was almost equal to the diameter of the abnormal ring AF with significant correlation (P < .001), whereas the band length did not correlate with the diameter of the visual field (P = .237). Eyes with central AF did not have a continuous third high-reflectance band. In eyes with neither ring nor central AF, the length of the third high-reflectance band correlated with the AF length and the diameter of the visual field (P = .024 and P < .001, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
A novel classification based on the fundus AF and the third high-reflectance band determined by OCT suggests different patterns of pathogenesis in the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptor degeneration in the progression of RP.
Murakami
Tomoaki
T
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Akimoto
Masayuki
M
Ooto
Sotaro
S
Suzuki
Takuya
T
Ikeda
Hanako
H
Kawagoe
Naoaki
N
Takahashi
Masayo
M
Yoshimura
Nagahisa
N
D018450:Disease Progression; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D005453:Fluorescence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000473:pathology*; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D014792:Visual Acuity; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields