The Association between Visual Acuity and Central Retinal Thickness in Retinitis Pigmentosa

Abstract

Both retinal thinning (due to cell loss) and retinal thickening (due to presumed edema) appear to be associated with lower visual acuity in patients with typical retinitis pigmentosa. The definition of the OCT third high-reflectance band may help to predict which patients are more likely to lose visual acuity as retinal thickness declines. An increase or decrease in retinal thickness of more than 17 microm at fixation or 11 microm over the central 1 mm at follow-up can be considered a significant (P < 0.01) change in these patients.