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ABSTRACT
Purpose: Retinitis pigmentosa is the most common inherited retinal dystrophy. The factors associated with visual acuity in patients with other retinal diseases are well known, but are poorly understood in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. This knowledge is useful for prognosis and to support secondary endpoints in clinical trials.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of consecutive patients recruited from the inherited retinal disease service from January 2012 to December 2012. Central macular thickness (CMT) was measured using spectral domain optical coherence tomography.
Results: Data were available for 81 patients and 162 eyes. After multivariable analyses, older age, earlier age of onset of symptoms, and thicker CMT were associated with lower visual acuity. Gender and inheritance pattern were not associated with visual acuity. Each decade older age, younger age of onset, and thicker CMT was associated with 0.12, 0.10, and 0.11 worse logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution units of visual acuity, respectively (p < 0.05 for all).
Conclusions: Age, age of onset, and CMT are associated with visual acuity and important factors to measure in studies of retinitis pigmentosa.
Declaration of interest
The authors have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article. There is no conflict of interest. The sponsors or funding organisations had no role in the design or conduct of this research.
Funding
The work was supported by grants from the Eye Foundation, Royal Australian New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, NHMRC (Australia), National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research Centre at Moorfields Eye Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, Fight For Sight (UK) and FFS Mercer Fund, Moorfields Eye Hospital Special Trustees, Moorfields Eye Charity, Macular Society, the Foundation Fighting Blindness (USA), and Retinitis Pigmentosa Fighting Blindness. Michel Michaelides is supported by an FFB Career Development Award.