MCQ – 18288

Two members of a family presented with loss of vision at night is diagnosed having retinitis pigmentosa. Which of the following is NOT true about retinitis pigmentosa?

Correct Answer � B Explanation

• Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) represents a group of hereditary progressive retinal disorders.
• It affects approximately 1.5 million people worldwide. Retinitis pigmentosa usually affects both eyes symmetrically, although in some cases, it affects one eye more than the other.
• There are several forms of retinitis pigmentosa with different inheritance patterns, clinical signs, and visual symptoms.
• Common to all of them is progressive degeneration of the retina, specifically of the light-sensitive (photoreceptor) cells known as the rod and cone photoreceptors.
• The rods, which are largely responsible for night vision, are involved earlier in the course of the disease.
• RP affects cones, which are responsible for color and central vision, later.
• Rod-cone dystrophy and progressive pigmentary retinopathy are other names for RP.
• Difficulty with night vision, slow adaptation to the dark, and gradual loss of peripheral vision are typically the first symptoms.
• People usually retain central visual acuity is until late in the disease. Doctors commonly diagnose RP during adolescence, though symptoms may begin at any age.