1 Vol.:(0123456789) Scientifc Reports | (2021) 11:3180 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82757-5 www.nature.com/scientificreports Near‑infrared fundus autofuorescence alterations correlate with swept‑source optical coherence tomography angiography fndings in patients with retinitis pigmentosa Marco Nassisi 1,2,3,4* , Carlo Lavia 5,6 , Saddek Mohand‑Said 1,2 , Vasily Smirnov 1 , Aline Antonio 1 , Christel Condroyer 1 , Serge Sancho 2 , Juliette Varin 1 , Alain Gaudric 5 , Christina Zeitz 1 , José‑Alain Sahel 1,2,7,8,9 & Isabelle Audo 1,2,10* Thirty‑eight patients from 37 families with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) underwent macular 6 × 6‑mm swept‑source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS‑OCTA) and 30° near‑infrared fundus autofuorescence (NIR‑FAF) acquisitions in one eye. Superfcial vascular complex (SVC), deep capillary complex (DCC) and choriocapillaris (CC) angiograms were registered with NIR‑FAF acquisitions to comparatively assess subjects with and without central area of preserved NIR‑FAF (APA). On the subset of patients showing an APA, the vessel densities for SVC and DCC and fow defcits for CC were assessed in three directions (superior, inferior and temporal) from the fovea and compared to healthy 1:1 age‑matched controls. Nine patients with no APA had evidence of severe central OCTA alterations at all levels, especially in the DCC. In the other 29 subjects presenting APA, all OCTA parameters were similar to healthy eyes within the APA, where the retina preserves its structural integrity. Outside the APA, both the DCC and CC were signifcantly reduced in all directions. These alterations are probably related to the outer retinal atrophy outside the APA. Comparing OCTA to other imaging modalities is helpful to determine the potential interest of OCTA fndings as an outcome measure for disease status and progression. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) comprises a group of genetically heterogeneous inherited retinal rod-cone dystrophies, characterized by progressive degeneration of the photoreceptors (PR) leading to night blindness, visual feld constriction, and, eventually, central vision loss 1 . Mid-peripheral intraretinal bone spicule-like pigmentation, waxy/pale optic disc and generalized retinal vascular thinning represent the main fundoscopic fndings asso- ciated with RP. Several approaches are being developed for treatment of RP, mostly depending on the genetic background of the disease 2 . Tese include gene augmentation/replacement therapy, gene editing, antisense oli- gonucleotides and cell therapy 2 . Clinical trials require solid and objective measurements to assess the disease stage and progression, and establish reliable outcomes for appropriate selection of candidates and evaluation of the success of the treatment. OPEN 1 Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France. 2 CHNO des Quinze-Vingts, INSERM-DGOS CIC1423, 28 rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris, France. 3 Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. 4 Ophthalmological Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. 5 Université de Paris, Ophthalmology Department, AP-HP, Hôpital Lariboisière, 75010 Paris, France. 6 Surgical Department, Ophthalmology Service, Azienda Sanitaria Locale TO 5, 10023 Chieri, Italy. 7 Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild, 75019 Paris, France. 8 Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. 9 Académie des Sciences-Institut de France, 75006 Paris, France. 10 Institute of Ophthalmology, University College of London, London EC1V 9EL, UK. * email: marco.nassisi@inserm.fr; isabelle.audo@inserm.fr