title: Multimodal imaging of foveal cavitation in retinal dystrophies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Inherited retinal dystrophies and cone dysfunction syndromes may show a sharp hyporeflective interruption in the outermost retinal layers on optical coherence tomography (OCT), known as foveal cavitation (FC). The aim of the study was to describe the morpho-functional features of FC in patients affected by retinal dystrophies by means of multimodal imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consecutive series of patients affected by FC were prospectively recruited for the study. Patients underwent short-wavelength (SW) and near-infraRed (NIR) fundus autofluorescence (FAF), spectral domain OCT (SD-OCT), microperimetry (MP), and multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG). Mean size of FC on OCT was correlated with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 15 patients (30 eyes) were enrolled. Mean age was 38.2 ± 14.5 years (range: 10-60), with nine females (60 %). Mean BCVA was 0.5 ± 0.4 LogMAR. SD-OCT revealed focal loss of outer retinal layers and disruption of inner segment ellipsoid zone. Vertical height of FC (mean 27.77 ± 18.77 μm) was indirectly related to BCVA; complete forms of FC, with total loss of outer OCT bands, showed a poorer visual outcome. The FC size on NIR-FAF turned out to be larger with respect to SD-OCT and SW-FAF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that the presence of FC worsens functional outcome in patients affected by retinal disorders; complete and higher lesions are associated with a worse morpho-functional prognosis in these eyes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Vita-Salute, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio Battaglia
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Parodi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Vita-Salute, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy. cicinelli.mariavittoria@hsr.it.
authors.forename: Maria Vittoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Cicinelli
authors.affiliation: Fondazione G.B. Bietti, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iacono
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Vita-Salute, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluigi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bolognesi
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Vita-Salute, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Via Olgettina 60, Milan, 20132, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bandello
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000473:pathology*; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D058499:Retinal Dystrophies / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*; D014792:Visual Acuity; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Foveal Cavitation; Genetics; Inherited retinal dystrophy; Microperimetry; Optical coherence tomography