Purpose: To determine whether there is a significant correlation between the retinal sensitivity and the integrity of the ellipsoid zone (EZ) of the photoreceptors in eyes with myopic chorioretinal atrophy (CRA). We also determined the significance of the correlation between the retinal sensitivity and the retinal and choroidal thicknesses.
Methods: The medical records of 10 eyes of six subjects with myopic CRA were reviewed. The integrity of the EZ was determined in the spectral-domain optical coherence tomographic (OCT) images at 37 points of six scans corresponding to the locations where the retinal sensitivities were measured by MP-3 microperimetry. The mesopic retinal sensitivities were determined within the central 16°. The significance of the correlations between the integrity of the EZ and the mesopic retinal sensitivities was determined. The relationships between the retinal and choroidal thickness and the retinal sensitivity were also determined.
Results: The average age of the patients was 70.0 ± 6.7 years, and the average axial length of the eye was 29.2 mm. The mesopic sensitivities at the points where the EZ was present were significantly higher than those where the EZ was absent (p < 0.01). The mesopic sensitivity was significantly correlated with the retinal thickness (p < 0.01, r = 0.30) and the choroidal thickness (p < 0.01, r = 0.23).
Conclusions: The significant correlation between the mesopic retinal sensitivity and the integrity of the EZ indicates that the mesopic sensitivities can be used to assess the integrity of the photoreceptors in eyes with myopic CRA.
Keywords: Pathologic myopia; retina; retinal degenerations associated with systemic disease; retinal pathology/research; techniques of retinal examination.