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Retinitis pigmentosa is a slowly progressive, bilateral degeneration of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium caused by various genetic mutations. Symptoms include night blindness and loss of peripheral vision. Diagnosis is by funduscopy, which demonstrates pigmentation in a bone-spicule configuration in the equatorial retina, narrowing of the retinal arterioles, a waxy pallor of the optic disk, posterior subcapsular cataracts, and cells in the vitreous. Electroretinography helps confirm the diagnosis.

Abnormal gene coding for retinal proteins appears to be the cause of retinitis pigmentosa; several genes have been identified. Transmission may be autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, or, infrequently, X-linked. It may occur as part of a syndrome (eg, Bassen-Kornzweig, Laurence-Moon). Some of these syndromes include congenital hearing loss as well.

Symptoms and Signs

The retinal rods are affected, causing defective night vision that becomes symptomatic at varying ages, sometimes in early childhood. Night vision may eventually be lost. A peripheral ring scotoma (detectable by visual field testing) widens gradually, so that central vision may also be affected in advanced cases.

The most conspicuous funduscopic finding is hyperpigmentation in a bone-spicule configuration in the midperipheral retina. Other findings include the following:

• Narrowing of the retinal arterioles
• Cystoid macular edema
• Waxy yellow appearance of the disk
• Posterior subcapsular cataracts
• Cells in the vitreous (less commonly)
• Myopia

Diagnosis

• Funduscopy
• Electroretinography

Retinitis Pigmentosa

The diagnosis is suspected in patients with poor night vision or a family history. Diagnosis is by funduscopy, usually supplemented with electroretinography. Other retinopathies that can simulate retinitis pigmentosa should be excluded, including retinopathies associated with syphilis, rubella, phenothiazine or chloroquine Some Trade Names
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toxicity, and nonocular cancer. Family members should be examined and tested as necessary or desired to establish the hereditary pattern. Patients with a hereditary syndrome may wish to seek genetic counseling before having children.

Treatment

There is no way to reverse damage caused by retinitis pigmentosa, but vitamin A palmitate 20,000 units po once/day may help slow disease progression in some patients. Patients taking vitamin A palmitate should have regular liver function tests. Vision decreases as the macula becomes increasingly involved and can evolve to legal blindness.

Last full review/revision December 2008 by Sunir J. Garg, MD

Content last modified December 2008