Visual acuity and perimacular retinal layers detected by optical coherence tomography in patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

BACKGROUND The remaining retinal neurones or layered structure in the degenerating retina have been the prerequisite for epiretinal or subretinal retinal prostheses. AIM To detect the layered structure in the eyes of patients with retinitis pigmentosa by optical coherence tomography. METHODS In a prospective non-comparative study, 115 eyes of 58 consecutive patients with retinitis pigmentosa underwent optical coherence tomography to obtain horizontal and vertical retinal cross-section images at the centre of the macula. The number of high-reflectance retinal layers, one, two or three layers, was tested to determine whether it correlates with best-corrected visual acuity. RESULTS The best-corrected visual acuity was significantly better in the eyes in which more retinal layers were detected (p<0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test, p<0.05, Tukey-Kramer test). The best-corrected visual acuity in the right eye and in the left eye was correlated with each other (p<0.001, Spearman rank correlation test) and decreased with age. CONCLUSIONS Optical coherence tomography can be used to obtain information regarding the retinal layer structure in patients with retinitis pigmentosa, and may be used as a clinical test to assess the feasibility of retinal prostheses in future.