title: Computer-Assisted Evaluation of Retinal Vessel Diameter in Retinitis Pigmentosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The evaluation of retinal vessel attenuation is very subjective and not sufficiently reliable in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). We tested semiautomatic software capable of obtaining real-time measurements of vessel diameter.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retinal vessel diameter was calculated in 25 RP subjects and in 20 healthy controls. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the average values of RP patients with those of controls and subgroups of RP patients with different clinical features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The retinal vessel diameter was significantly smaller in RP patients than in controls (p < 0.001). In particular, vessel diameters were smaller in older subjects, in patients with worse ERG responses, and in patients with more severe visual field loss.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Computer-assisted analysis of retinal fundus pictures may be helpful in the diagnosis of RP and in monitoring disease progression.
authors.affiliation: Eye Clinic, Careggi Teaching Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sodi
authors.forename: Dario Pasquale
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Mucciolo
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Murro
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zoppetti
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Terzuoli
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mecocci
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Virgili
authors.forename: Stanislao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rizzo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012160:Retina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology*; D012174:Retinitis Pigmentosa / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D055815:Young Adult