The relationship between morphological and functional status and ocular blood flow in retinitis pigmentosa assessed by laser speckle flowgraphy.

PURPOSES: To evaluate the mean blur rate-choroid (MBR-CH) and the optic nerve head (ONH) by laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) compared with those of healthy controls and to determine whether the MBR-CH is associated with chorio-retinal structure and visual function.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

We studied 48 eyes of 24 RP patients and 71 controls, evaluating the MBR in the ONH (MBR-Tissue, -Vessel, and -All), MBR-CH, and the area ratio of the bloodstream (ARBS). We identified the central foveal thickness, subfoveal choroidal thickness (SCT), ellipsoid zone (EZ) width, retinal sensitivity by microperimetry, and Goldmann visual field (GVF) of I4e and I2e intensities.

RESULTS

All LSFG parameters in the RP group were significantly lower than those of the controls. The SCT was significantly correlated with axial length, visual acuity (VA), retinal sensitivity at 2°, MBR-CH, and ARBS. The EZ width was significantly correlated with retinal sensitivity, MBR-Tissue, and CH. VA and MBR-Vessel were identified as factors independently contributing to the retinal sensitivity at 2°; the EZ width and MBR-Vessel independently contributed to the retinal sensitivity at 10°. The EZ width, MBR-Vessel, and ARBS independently contributed to the GVF I4e area, and EZ width and MBR-Vessel independently contributed to the GVF I2e area.

CONCLUSION

The LSFG-measured ONH and CH blood flow are important indicators for understanding the chorio-retinal structure and visual function in RP.