Purpose To characterize retinal structure and function in achromatopsia (ACHM) in preparation for clinical trials of gene therapy. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Forty subjects with ACHM. Methods All subjects underwent spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), microperimetry, and molecular genetic testing. Foveal structure on SD-OCT was graded into 5 distinct categories: (i) continuous inner segment ellipsoid (ISe), (ii) ISe disruption, (iii) ISe absence, (iv) presence of a hyporeflective zone (HRZ), and (v) outer retinal atrophy including retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) loss. Foveal and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness was measured, and presence of hypoplasia determined. Main Outcome Measures Photoreceptor appearance on SD-OCT imaging; foveal and ONL thickness; presence of foveal hypoplasia; retinal sensitivity and fixation stability; and association of these parameters with age and genotype. Results Forty subjects with mean age of 24.9 years (range 6 to 52) were included. Disease-causing variants were found in CNGA3 (n=18), CNGB3 (n=15), GNAT2 (n=4), and PDE6C (n=1). No variants were found in 2 individuals. 22.5% of subjects had a continuous ISe layer at the fovea; 27.5% had ISe disruption; 20% had an absent ISe layer; 22.5% had a HRZ; and 7.5% had outer retinal atrophy. No significant differences in age (p=0.77), mean retinal sensitivity (p=0.21) or fixation stability (p=0.34) across the 5 SD-OCT categories were evident. No significant correlation was found between age and foveal thickness (p=0.84), or between age and foveal ONL thickness (p=0.12). Conclusions The lack of clear association of disruption of retinal structure or function in ACHM with age suggests that the window of opportunity for intervention by gene therapy is wider in some individuals than previously indicated. Therefore the potential benefit for a given subject is likely to be better predicted by specific measurement of photoreceptor structure rather than simply by age. The ability to directly assess cone photoreceptor preservation with SD-OCT and/or adaptive optics imaging is likely to prove invaluable in selecting subjects for future trials and measuring their impact.

PurposeTo describe the clinical and molecular characteristics of patients with childhood-onset Stargardt disease (STGD).DesignRetrospective case series.ParticipantsForty-two patients who were diagnosed with STGD in childhood at a single institution between January 2001 and January 2012.MethodsA detailed history and a comprehensive ophthalmic examination were undertaken, including color fundus photography, autofluorescence imaging, spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and pattern and full-field electroretinograms. The entire coding region and splice sites of ABCA4 were screened using a next-generation, sequencing-based strategy. The molecular genetic findings of childhood-onset STGD patients were compared with those of adult-onset patients.Main Outcome MeasuresClinical, imaging, electrophysiologic, and molecular genetic findings.ResultsThe median ages of onset and the median age at baseline examination were 8.5 (range, 3–16) and 12.0 years (range, 7-16), respectively. The median baseline logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity was 0.74. At baseline, 26 of 39 patients (67%) with available photographs had macular atrophy with macular/peripheral flecks; 11 (28%) had macular atrophy without flecks; 1 (2.5%) had numerous flecks without macular atrophy; and 1 (2.5%) had a normal fundus appearance. Flecks were not identified at baseline in 12 patients (31%). SD-OCT detected foveal outer retinal disruption in all 21 patients with available images. Electrophysiologic assessment demonstrated retinal dysfunction confined to the macula in 9 patients (36%), macular and generalized cone dysfunction in 1 subject (4%), and macular and generalized cone and rod dysfunction in 15 individuals (60%). At least 1 disease-causing ABCA4 variant was identified in 38 patients (90%), including 13 novel variants; ≥2 variants were identified in 34 patients (81%). Patients with childhood-onset STGD more frequently harbored 2 deleterious variants (18% vs 5%) compared with patients with adult-onset STGD.ConclusionsChildhood-onset STGD is associated with severe visual loss, early morphologic changes, and often generalized retinal dysfunction, despite often having less severe fundus abnormalities on examination. One third of children do not have flecks at presentation. The relatively high proportion of deleterious ABCA4 variants supports the hypothesis that earlier onset disease is often owing to more severe variants in ABCA4 than those found in adult-onset disease.

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