RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA

What is Retinitis Pigmentosa?

Retinitis Pigmentosa is a disease of the retina where its outer layers are damaged, which is where the photoreceptors are located: the cones and the rods, which are the nerve cells specialized in perceiving light.

It is a rare disease that affects 2 or 3 of every ten thousand people and usually affects both eyes.

Retinal image of a patient with Retinitis Pigmentosa

Symptoms

  • Loss of vision and reduction of the visual field (tunnel vision).
  • Impaired night vision.

Treatment

The treatment focuses on resolving associated complications such as cataracts, macular edema or epiretinal membranes. It is also important to carry out a genetic diagnosis to identify the inheritance pattern of the pathology and indicate the probability of transmitting it or alerting carrier relatives who have not yet developed it.