Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)

What is it?
1. Wasting away of the photoreceptors
2. Retinal Pigment Epithelium may also be affected
3. Generic name applied to a rod/cone dystrophy
Characteristics
1. Frequently inherited
2. Bilateral and symmertical
3. Nyclatopia normally present
4. both rods and cones eventually affected
5. Variable age of onset
6. variable rate of progression
Vision loss
1. In most cases rods affected first
  1. Some degree of visual acuity is likely to remain
2. Reduced contrast sensitivity
3. If cones remain some colour vision is maintained
  1. May have colour confusion
4. Significant loss of visual field
  1. Tunnel vision
Practical implications
1. Difficulty with personal care
2. Difficulty with daily living tasks
  1. making a drink
  2. cooking
  3. Things get "lost"
3. Reading
  1. text smaller to fit into visual field
4. Difficulty using controlled crossing s
5. Difficulty negotiating kerbs
6. Difficulty with glare
7. Visual fatigue/confusion
8. Difficulty with neck and shoulder problems using low vision strategies
  1. scanning
9. Difficulty with night time/low light
  1. Nyctalotia
10. difficulty adapting to different light conditions
  1. outdoor/indoor

Resource summary

	Created by laura.skinner86 about 9 years ago