Retinitis Pigmentosa
Retinitis Pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of eye problems that affect the retina. This condition changes how the retina responds to light, making it hard to see. People with retinitis pigmentosa lose their vision slowly over time. Usually, though, they will not become totally blind.
Causes of Retinitis Pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic condition, meaning it can be passed down in families. The type and speed of vision loss from retinitis pigmentosa varies from person to person. It depends on their form of the condition.
Though RP generally runs in families, 50 percent of people with RP don’t have a family history of the disease. The condition usually starts in childhood or the teen years, but can occur at older ages.
There is no way to prevent the disease; however, protecting your retina by wearing UV sunglasses outdoors may help delay the start of symptoms.
Symptoms of Retinitis Pigmentosa
With retinitis pigmentosa, you may have vision loss in the following ways:
- Loss of night vision. Night blindness is when you cannot see anything in the dark. Your vision may be normal during the day. As you start losing night vision, it takes longer to adjust to darkness. You may stumble over objects or have trouble driving at dusk and at night. You might also find it hard to see in movie theatres or other dim rooms.
- Gradual loss of peripheral (side) vision. This is known as ‘tunnel vision’. You may find you bump into things as you move around. This is because you are not able to see objects below and around you.
- Loss of central vision. Some people also have problems with central vision. This can make it hard to do detailed tasks such as reading or threading a needle.
- Problems with colour vision. Some people may also have trouble seeing different colours.
Tests
Our experienced physicians specialize in vision diagnosis, treatment, and care. The first step to achieve an accurate diagnosis is through a comprehensive eye exam. If necessary, your ophthalmologist will order additional tests or procedures to confirm your diagnosis.
Colour Defectiveness Determination – Your ophthalmologist may decide to test your sight for colour deficiency. Some of the tests involve recognition of multi-coloured dot patterns while other tests are performed by placing different colour chips in the correct order.
Retinal Exam – Before this exam, your pupils are usually dilated. During the exam, your physician looks at your retina and the surrounding structures. In a direct exam, your physician uses an ophthalmoscope to shine a bright beam of light through your pupil to the back of your eye. In an indirect retinal exam, your physician looks inside your eye using a condensing lens and bright light. This allows your doctor to see the retinal structures in 3-D and with great detail.
Eye Ultrasound – This safe, painless test uses high-frequency sound waves to produce detailed images of your eye. Ultrasound also allows your doctor to examine the eye socket.
Electroretinogram – An electroretinography (ERG) test or electroretinogram, measures the electrical response of the light-sensitive cells in your eyes.
Genetic testing – This test looks at a sample of your blood or other tissues to see if you have certain genes that are associated with a disease. It can also help determine the likely course or severity of a disease.
Visual field testing – Retinitis pigmentosa can affect your peripheral (side) vision. Visual field testing helps measure your side vision and find any blind spots that may be developing.
Optical coherence tomography – Also known as OCT, this imaging test takes special, highly detailed pictures of your retina. It can help diagnose RP and find out how it is affecting your retina
Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa
Currently, there is no cure or treatment to stop retinitis pigmentosa.
There is no single treatment for retinitis pigmentosa. Scientists are studying why and how retinitis pigmentosa happens within families. They hope to develop treatments based on this information. In the meantime, many people benefit from low vision aids and therapy provided by our eye care team.
Research shows that taking certain vitamins, including vitamin A palmitate, may help some people with retinitis pigmentosa. Your ophthalmologist can tell you if these vitamins might be helpful for you. If so, he or she can recommend which vitamins and how much you should take.
Some patients develop swelling of the retina and may be helped by a certain type of eye drop. Cataracts or clouding of the eye’s lens may also develop and surgery to treat this might be helpful for some patients. There is also an “artificial retina” called the ARGUS II implant, which may be helpful for some patients with severe vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa.
People with low vision can learn to make the most of their remaining sight. There are many devices and ways to do things differently that can help with tasks. Vision specialists can teach you to use these tools and techniques.
If you have retinitis pigmentosa and plan to have children, you might want to speak with a genetic counsellor to learn about your chance of passing this eye condition on to your children.