Macula Lesions in Retinitis Pigmentosa

Abstract

Aim: To describe the pattern of macula lesions in patients with retinitis pigmentosa attending a Retina outpatient clinic in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Methodology: A retrospective review of patients with retinitis pigmentosa seen at the Retina clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria between May 2018 and June 2022. Data analysis was by SPSS (version 23) and statistical significance was placed at p < 0.05.

Results: Forty-six (2.4%) of 1911 patients seen at the retina clinic during the study period had a diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa. There were 24 (55.8%) males and 19 (44.2%) females. The mean age was 39.4 ± 19.2 years (range of 9 to 78 years). Eighty-six percent of patients were of the Yoruba ethnic group. The most common ocular complaint was poor vision which was present in forty patients (93.0%), followed by poor night vision in 26 (74.3%) patients and loss of peripheral vision in 11 (47.8%) patients. Visual impairment was present in 72.2% of patients. Maculopathy accounted for 61.3 percent of patients with visual impairment. Fifty-three (68.9%) eyes had macula lesions. This accounted for 62. 8% of all patients with RP. The macula lesions include atrophic maculopathy, cystoid macula oedema and epiretinal membrane. Atrophic maculopathy was the most common maculopathy. Coexisting ocular morbidities such as cataract dominantly of the posterior subcapsular morphology was present in 33 (42.3%) eyes while glaucoma was present in two eyes of a single patient.

Conclusion: Macula lesions in retinitis pigmentosa may be a main cause of visual impairment in this population. Atrophic maculopathy is the most prevalent macula lesion associated with RP in this study.