title: Disease course of patients with unilateral pigmentary retinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the change in ocular function by eye in patients with unilateral pigmentary retinopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal regression was used to estimate mean exponential rates of change in Goldmann visual field area (V4e white test light) and in full-field electroretinogram (ERG) amplitudes to 0.5- and 30-Hz white flashes in 15 patients with unilateral pigmentary retinopathy. Snellen visual acuity was assessed case by case.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean annual rates of change for the affected eyes were -4.9% for visual field area, -4.7% for ERG amplitude to 0.5-Hz flashes, and -4.6% for ERG amplitude to 30-Hz flashes. All three rates were faster than the corresponding age-related rates of change for the fellow normal eyes (P = 0.0006, P = 0.003, P = 0.03, respectively). An initial cone ERG implicit time to 30-Hz flashes in affected eyes ≥ 40 ms predicted a faster mean rate of decline of visual field area and of ERG amplitude to 0.5- and 30-Hz flashes (P < 0.0001 for all three measures). The visual acuity of affected eyes was more likely to decrease in patients presenting at >35 years of age than in patients presenting at a younger age (P = 0.0004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The affected eye in unilateral pigmentary retinopathy shows a progressive loss of peripheral retinal function that cannot be attributed to aging alone and that is faster in eyes with a more prolonged initial cone ERG implicit time. Patients presenting at >35 years of age are at greater risk for losing visual acuity.
authors: Berman-Gund Laboratory for the Study of Retinal Degenerations, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
authors: Emorfily
authors: E
authors: Potsidis
authors: Eliot L
authors: EL
authors: Berson
authors: Michael A
authors: MA
authors: Sandberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018450:Disease Progression; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012607:Scotoma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult