Correlation between fundus autofluorescence and visual function in patients with cone-rod dystrophy

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between autofluorescence (AF) signal measured with ultra-wide field imaging and visual functions in patients with cone-rod dystrophy (CORD). A retrospective chart review was performed for CORD patients. We performed the visual field test and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) measurement and visualized retinal structures with optical coherence tomography (OCT) on the same day. Using binarised FAF images, we identified a low FAF area ratio (LFAR: low FAF/30°). Relationships between age and logMAR visual acuity (VA), central retinal thickness (CRT), central choroidal thickness (CCT), mean deviation (MD) value, and LFAR were investigated. Thirty-seven eyes of 21 CORD patients (8 men and 13 women) were enrolled. The mean patient age was 49.8 years. LogMAR VA and MD were 0.52 ± 0.47 and − 17.91 ± 10.59 dB, respectively. There was a significant relationship between logMAR VA and MD (p = 0.001). LogMAR VA significantly correlated with CRT (p = 0.006) but not with other parameters. Conversely, univariate analysis suggested a significant relationship between MD and LFAR (p = 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, LFAR was significantly associated with MD (p = 0.002). In conclusion, it is useful to measure the low FAF area in patients with CORD. The AF measurement reflects the visual field deterioration but not VA in CORD.