Retinal fluorescein leakage in retinitis pigmentosa.

Of 82 consecutive patients with retinitis pigmentosa, 78 underwent fluorescein angiography using standard and special, abbreviated photographic protocols. The stereoscopic angiograms disclosed alterations of the blood-retinal barrier, primarily at the level of the retinal pigment epithelium, in 60 patients. Areas of leakage were bilateral in all but two persons. The macula most frequently showed leakage, followed by the optic disk, the arcade areas, and the periphery. A few individuals exhibited leakage from the perifoveal retinal vessels. None of these patients had significant retinal vascular alterations or exudates in the retinal periphery. In eyes with no cataract or detectable macular pigment change and with comparable amounts of epiretinal membrane, the presence of macular edema was significantly correlated with reduced central visual acuity.