gms | German Medical Science

Aim: To evaluate demographical and clinical characteristics of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) patients applied to Retina department between June 2014 and June 2015.

Material and Methods: Personal and family history of the patients were recorded. Ophthalmological examination included eye position, visual acuity testing, biomicroscopy and fundoscopy, biometry, optical coherence tomographical and fundus autofluorescence imaging.

Results: Out of 242 RP patients 36% was female 64% was male. Mean age was 45 years. Consanguinity rate was 27% and RP was present in siblings in 48% of the patients. Sporadic cases constituted 37% of the patients. There was no coexisting systemic disorder in 49%. Usher syndrome was present in 29 patients and Bardet Biedl syndrome was present in 8 patients. In 80% of the eyes there was no additional ocular pathology. Cataract surgery was perfomed in 26% of the eyes and 24% were pseudophakic. Thirty % of the eyes had subcapsular, 8% had nuclear sclerotic opacities. Nystagmus was seen in 21%, orthophoria in 44% and exophoria in 38% of the patients. Visual acuities ranged from no light perception in 7%, only light perception in 36%, seeing hand movements in 33%, counting fingers at 1meter to 10/100 Snellen acuity in 10% and better than 10/100 in 12% of the eyes. Fundus examination revealed end-stage RP in 70%, and severe macular atrophy in 7% of the eyes. Epiretinal membrane, cystoid macular edema were among additional retinal pathologies. Imaging characteristics, fundus findings and visual acuity test results were evaluated.

Conclusion: According to Argus II retinal prosthesis indication criteria and clinical evaluation, 41 patients were found to be suitable as candidates for retinal prosthesis. Clinical and cognitive characteristics of the RP patients as well as detailed imaging and analysis of the macular area where the epiretinal prosthesis will be implanted is of supreme importance.