Morphologic photoreceptor abnormality in occult macular dystrophy on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2010 Jul;51(7):3673-9. doi: 10.1167/iovs.09-4169. Epub 2010 Feb 17.

Abstract

PURPOSE. To investigate morphologic photoreceptor layer abnormalities and their correlation with visual function in occult macular dystrophy (OMD), by using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). METHODS. This observational case series included 18 eyes of 9 patients with OMD. All patients underwent an ophthalmic evaluation, which included a fundus examination, fluorescein angiography, full-field electroretinography (ERG), multifocal ERG, time-domain optical coherence tomography (TD-OCT), and visual field testing. Morphologic photoreceptor layer abnormalities of the retinal layers were investigated with SD-OCT. The structure-function relationship was investigated regarding visual acuity, symptom duration, and multifocal ERG RESULTS: RESULTS. Best corrected visual acuity ranged from 20/200 to 20/20. Four patients had a symmetric decline of acuity in both eyes (20/200-20/100), and five had unilateral vision impairment (20/200-20/50). TD-OCT showed foveal thinning in all patients, but revealed no other retinal layer abnormality. In 15 eyes of 8 patients, SD-OCT demonstrated a well-defined disruption of the inner segment-outer segment (IS-OS) junction of the photoreceptors and of the Verhoeff membrane (cone outer segment tips). SD-OCT showed that three of five patients with presumed unilateral OMD had bilateral OMD after initial or follow-up examinations. Degrees of abnormality in the photoreceptor layer varied and correlated with visual acuity and symptom duration. CONCLUSIONS. SD-OCT can demonstrate the disruption of photoreceptors in most patients with OMD and the morphologic changes on SD-OCT correlate with visual function and disease progression. These morphologic abnormalities can be an important feature and cause of vision loss in patients with OMD.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Disease Progression
  • Electroretinography
  • Female
  • Fluorescein Angiography
  • Humans
  • Macular Degeneration / diagnosis*
  • Macular Degeneration / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / pathology*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence*
  • Vision Disorders / diagnosis
  • Vision Disorders / physiopathology
  • Visual Acuity / physiology
  • Visual Field Tests
  • Visual Fields / physiology
  • Young Adult