Purpose: To investigate the association the evaluation of between visual function and quality of life (QOL) in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
Subjects and methods: This was a multicenter prospective cross-sectional study. In 112 RP patients (66 women and 46 men) who were 60.7±15.4 years of age (mean±standard deviation), all patients (all groups) and patients with best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with logMAR ≤ 0.15 (good visual acuity group) were divided into grade I and II groups according to RP severity categories established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Then, correlations among BCVA, Functional Acuity Score (FAS), Functional Field Score (FFS), and Functional Vision Score (FVS), and the total and subscale scores of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ25) were evaluated.
Results: Significant correlations were found among BCVA, FAS, FFS, FVS, and NEI-VFQ25 total scores in all groups (0.55<|r|<0.68, p<0.001). In the good visual acuity group, there were no correlations of NEI-VFQ25 total scores but there were strong correlations of subscale scores with FVS, FFS, and BCVA in that order (0.38<|r|<0.80, p<0.05).
Conclusion: BCVA, FAS, FFS, and FVS are good indicators of QOL in all RP patients; however, there are limitations in estimating all QOL indicators when visual acuity is good.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 124: 63-69, 2020.