Retinitis pigmentosa

Alternative names:

night blindness - disease

Treatment:

The is no effective treatment for this condition. The use of sunglasses to protect the retina from ultraviolet light may have a vision-preserving effect. Recent studies have indicated that treatment with antioxidant agents such as vitamin E may delay the progression of this disease.

Expectations (prognosis):

The disorder will continue to progress.

Complications:

Peripheral and central loss of vision (blindness) will eventually occur. Retinitis pigmentosa is associated with a number of other disorders, including:

• Friedreich's ataxia
• mucopolysaccharidosis
• muscular dystrophy (myotonic dystrophy)
• Laurence-Moon syndrome (also called Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl syndrome, an inherited disorder causing mental deficiency, vision problems, kidney disorders, muscular problems, and other problems)

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if night vision becomes difficult or if other symptoms of this disorder develop.