Purpose: To characterize retinal vessel whitening (RVW) in Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP).
Methods: Single-center cross-sectional study. Review of clinical notes of clinically confirmed RP patients was performed followed by grading ultra-widefield imaging. Data collected included Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), presence or absence and location of RVW and were correlated with disease.
Results: In total, 120 RP patients' charts were reviewed. Of these, 116 patients (232 eyes) were included in the final analysis with a mean age of 43.2 (39.8, 46.6) and a 1:1 male to female ratio. RVW was seen in either eye of 44 (38%) subjects, most frequently in the inferotemporal quadrant (p< 0.001). Total retinal thickness within the ETDRS area was significantly less in eyes with RVW (p<0.001), a mean difference of 151.7 µm. Both the inner and outer retina were thinner in the RVW group (p<0.001). There was also a significant association (p<0.04) between the number of quadrants of the retina affected by RVW and the reduction in retinal thickness.
Conclusion: RVW is a common finding in RP, suggesting that it should be considered as a phenotypic feature of RP. RVW is also associated with structural changes to the central macula indicating its potential use as a marker of retinal disease severity.