Inverse pattern of photoreceptor abnormalities in retinitis pigmentosa and cone-rod dystrophy

Purpose: To determine the characteristics of the photoreceptor abnormalities in retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and cone-rod dystrophy (CRD). Methods: We evaluated the photoreceptor abnormalities using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) in 28 patients with RP and 17 patients with CRD. The OCT images and full-field electroretinograms were obtained from 21 eyes in normal subjects who were age-matched to patients with RP and CRD and served as controls. Results: Eyes with RP and CRD had markedly decreased rod responses (6.5 and 57.5 % of normal value), maximal responses (9.6 and 51.6 %), cone (16.5 and 25.8 %), and 30-Hz flicker responses (17.8 and 30.1 % of normal value), and their P values were smaller than 0.0003. On comparison of ERG data between RP and CRD, they had statistically significant differences in rod responses (P<0.0003) and maximal responses (P<0.0003). However, there were no statistical differences in cone response and a weak difference in 30-Hz flicker responses (P<0.017). The best-corrected visual acuity was - 0.03 ± 0.09 (logMAR, mean ± standard deviation [SD]) in eyes with RP, but 0.57 ± 0.54 in eyes with CRD. SD-OCT showed that eyes with RP had an intact reflective line at the junction between the photoreceptor inner and outer segment (IS/OS) at the fovea, while eyes with CRD had no IS/OS. The extent of the central visual field was correlated with the IS/OS length at the macula in eyes with RP. Conclusion: The distribution patterns of the IS/OS line help to differentiate between RP and CRD.