CLINICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND TREATMENT OUTCOMES OF MACULAR NEOVASCULARIZATION IN RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA.

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical features, prevalence, and treatment outcomes of macular neovascularization (MNV) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with RP at three tertiary hospitals in South Korea. The diagnosis of RP was based on symptoms, funduscopic findings, and electroretinography. All patients were treated with intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injection.

RESULTS

Among the 2,730 patients with RP, MNV was identified in 7 patients (prevalence: 0.26%). The median age at MNV onset was 59 years (range: 52-75 years). The median number of anti-VEGF injections was 5 (range: 1-43). After treatment, visual and anatomical improvements were observed in all patients. In six patients, MNV stabilized without recurrence after one to six anti-VEGF injections, whereas one patient needed repeated treatment. The 5 patients with a follow-up period more than 3 years exhibited no signs of disease progression or further constriction of the visual field.

CONCLUSION

The MNV is a rare complication in patients with RP, occurring at a younger age than in those with age-related macular degeneration. Intravitreal anti-VEGF injections for the treatment of RP-related MNV were effective in preserving vision without accelerating the clinical course of RP.