TY - JOUR
T1 - Retinal Pigment Epithelial and Outer Retinal Atrophy in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Correlation with Macular Function
AU - Savastano, Maria Cristina
AU - Falsini, Benedetto
AU - Cozzupoli, Grazia M.
AU - Savastano, Alfonso
AU - Gambini, Gloria
AU - De Vico, Umberto
AU - Minnella, Angelo Maria
AU - Placidi, Giorgio
AU - Piccardi, Marco
AU - Rizzo, Stanislao
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and outer retina changes, expressed in terms of sub-RPE illumination (SRI) on optical-coherence tomography (OCT), and central retinal function, measured by visual acuity and focal electroretinogram (fERG), in patients with non-exudative age-related macular degeneration (neAMD). In this retrospective study, 29 eyes of 29 patients affected by early (24.14%), intermediate (41.38%), and advanced (34.48%) neAMD were evaluated. All enrolled eyes were studied with OCT to measure the total area of SRI, by using an automated standardized algorithm. Visual acuity and fERG were assessed. The area of SRI was negatively correlated with fERG amplitude (r <= -0.4, p <= 0.02) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (r <= 0.4, p <= 0.04). Our results indicate that the severity of retinal pigment epithelium and outer retina atrophy (RORA), indirectly quantified through the detection of SRI areas by commercial OCT algorithms, is correlated with central retinal dysfunction, as determined by visual acuity and fERG, supporting the combined use of structural exams and functional tests as valid tools to detect the extent of RPE and photoreceptors' disruption.
AB - The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and outer retina changes, expressed in terms of sub-RPE illumination (SRI) on optical-coherence tomography (OCT), and central retinal function, measured by visual acuity and focal electroretinogram (fERG), in patients with non-exudative age-related macular degeneration (neAMD). In this retrospective study, 29 eyes of 29 patients affected by early (24.14%), intermediate (41.38%), and advanced (34.48%) neAMD were evaluated. All enrolled eyes were studied with OCT to measure the total area of SRI, by using an automated standardized algorithm. Visual acuity and fERG were assessed. The area of SRI was negatively correlated with fERG amplitude (r <= -0.4, p <= 0.02) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) (r <= 0.4, p <= 0.04). Our results indicate that the severity of retinal pigment epithelium and outer retina atrophy (RORA), indirectly quantified through the detection of SRI areas by commercial OCT algorithms, is correlated with central retinal dysfunction, as determined by visual acuity and fERG, supporting the combined use of structural exams and functional tests as valid tools to detect the extent of RPE and photoreceptors' disruption.
KW - age-related macular degeneration
KW - focal electroretinogram
KW - outer retina and retinal pigment epithelium atrophy
KW - sub-RPE illumination
KW - age-related macular degeneration
KW - focal electroretinogram
KW - outer retina and retinal pigment epithelium atrophy
KW - sub-RPE illumination
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/174667
U2 - 10.3390/jcm9092973
DO - 10.3390/jcm9092973
M3 - Article
SN - 2077-0383
VL - 9
SP - 2973-N/A
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
JF - Journal of Clinical Medicine
ER -