Autoimmunity and retinitis pigmentosa

Abstract

RETINITIS PIGMENTOSA (RP) is a term used to describe a heterogeneous group of progressive retinal dystrophies characterised by night blindness, early loss of visual field with eventual central visual loss, and typical pigmentary (bone-spicule) fundus changes with late attenuation of retinal arterioles and optic atrophy. Marmor et al¹ have defined RP as a set of progressive hereditary disorders that diffusely and primarily affect photoreceptor and pigment epithelial function. The electroretinogram is abnormal from an early stage and is eventually lost. Expression of the disease is extremely variable.