Assessment of Central Visual Function in Stargardt’s Disease/Fundus Flavimaculatus with Ultrahigh-Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

Ultrahigh-resolution OCT demonstrates excellent visualization of intraretinal morphology and enables quantification of the photoreceptor layer. Thus, for the first time, an in vivo visualization and quantification of transverse, central photoreceptor loss and correlation with visual function is possible. Lower VA corresponds to a greater transverse photoreceptor loss, which also correlates with the extent of changes seen in fluorescein angiography and in fundus autofluorescence. Furthermore, reduced retinal thickness (i.e., atrophy of retinal layers) does not correlate with the transverse extent of PR loss. Thus, it seems that although there may be progressive atrophy of intraretinal layers, an intact photoreceptor layer leads to better VA. UHR-OCT may present a viable alternative to the assessment of central visual function, due to the easy, objective, and noninvasive data acquisition. Therefore, UHR-OCT could be of future use in judging patients' prognoses in Stargardt's disease.