Non-syndromic Retinitis Pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) includes a number of congenital changes in the retinal photoreceptors (rods and cones), which can lead to blindness. It is the most common form of retinal dystrophy and can present in a non-syndromic form (i.e. as an isolated disorder) or associated with complex medical conditions, which can affect different organs and systems (syndromic form, which affects about 20-30% of cases ).RP is characterized primarily by rod degeneration, followed by loss of cones. This succession of events, which begin from childhood, is reflected in the typical symptoms of Retinitis: in the initial stages, in fact, the affected subject undergoes a reduction in nocturnal visual acuity and has sensitivity to glare. The progression of the disease continues with the progressive reduction of peripheral vision, which makes it difficult to see objects placed laterally. In the lateral visual field, in fact, blind spots appear that tend to merge with each other, leading to the so-called tub