Non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa

Publication date: Available online 27 March 2018 Source:Progress in Retinal and Eye Research Author(s): Sanne K. Verbakel, Ramon A.C. van Huet, Camiel J.F. Boon, Anneke I. den Hollander, Rob W.J. Collin, Caroline C.W. Klaver, Carel B. Hoyng, Ronald Roepman, B. Jeroen Klevering Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) encompasses a group of inherited retinal dystrophies characterized by the primary degeneration of rod and cone photoreceptors. RP is a leading cause of visual disability, with a worldwide prevalence of 1:4000. Although the majority of RP cases are non-syndromic, 20–30% of patients with RP also have an associated non-ocular condition. RP typically manifests with night blindness in adolescence, followed by concentric visual field loss, reflecting the principal dysfunction of rod photoreceptors; central vision loss occurs later in life due to cone dysfunction. Photoreceptor function measured with an electroretinogram is markedly reduced or even absent. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging show a progressive loss of outer retinal layers and altered lipofuscin distribution in a characteristic pattern. Over the past three decades, a vast number of disease-causing variants in more than 80 genes have been associated with non-syndromic RP. The wide heterogeneity of RP makes it challenging to describe the clinical findings and pathogenesis. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the clinical characteristics of RP specif...
Source: Progress in Retinal and Eye Research - Category: Opthalmology Source Type: research