Shedding Light on Retinitis Pigmentosa: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment Perspectives

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of inherited eye diseases in which the retina (retina) is destroyed. The retinal cells gradually die off: as a rule, the rods in the retina’s periphery die off first. The cones in the centre of the macula are initially preserved.

Spread of the RP gene

Around 30,000 to 40,000 people suffer from this disease in Germany and around 3 million worldwide. It is estimated that every eightieth person carries an “unfavourably” modified RP gene.

So, such a gene carries hereditary information that can trigger the development of this retinal disease in gene carriers or their offspring.

Retinitis pigmentosa: symptoms and consequences

The first consequence of RP, which usually occurs in adolescence or young adulthood, is usually night blindness. Gradually, colour and contrast vision is lost, later visual acuity decreases, and the field of vision narrows until, after a few years, only a tiny central remnant of vision remains. Hence the term “tunnel vision” or “tube field of vision”.

For example, at this stage, the RP patient sees the glass on the table in front of him but no longer sees the bottle right next to it. Although central visual acuity is preserved, orientation in unfamiliar rooms or on the street is no longer possible.

Many people suffering from this disease become completely blind during their lifetime. Retinitis pigmentosa is the most common cause of vision loss in middle age.

Diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited disease caused by an altered gene. Prevention is not possible. The most important method for early detection of this disease is electroretinography (ERG).

The field of vision, visual acuity, colour sense and adaptation to darkness are checked, the retinal current curve is measured, and the fundus of the eye is mirrored.

 

RP: measures and therapy

So far, there is no way to surgically, medicinally or through a diet to slow down or stop the process of dying of the photoreceptor cells. There is great hope in molecular genetics to detect the changes in the genetic material that cause such diseases and thus to find a possible therapeutic approach.

Various research projects have been running for many years to help people who have gone blind from degenerative retinal diseases to be able to see again. In the meantime, various retinal chips have been developed with which some subjects in clinical studies at least experienced light-dark perceptions and could even recognize shadowy outlines.

Further development should enable orientation in the foreseeable future. For all other tasks of the eyes, people suffering from RP depend on electronic visual aids, voice computers and the additional Braille keyboard on the PC.