Retinitis Pigmentosa treatment in India by Dr. Dinesh Sharma at Prakash Nethralaya and Panchakarma Kendra

Retinitis Pigmentosa

This is a disease which was first identified, diagnosed and named after a scientist named Dr. Donders in 1857. Retinitis Pigmentosa may be defined as a collection of some interrelated conditions that are genetic, medically unique and progressive. They also share a common feature of damaged photoreceptors of the retina (or dystrophy) and also of the pigment epithelium beneath the photoreceptors.

Retinitis Pigmentosa and Normal Retina

Retina is a membrane or layer that is placed at the back of the eye. The layer is made up of photosensitive layer which contains millions of photo receptors. These photoreceptors gets stimulated when the rays of the light fall on retina. These rods or the photo receptors and cones are used to convey the message of light and its pattern to the brain through nerves that unite to form the optic nerve which leads to a normal visual perception.

Symptoms and Pathophysiology

The very initial phase of this disease started with rise of the difficulties in vision usually in dim or low light. This is marked as the reduction in vision along the edge, which is also identified as tunnel vision. The central vision does not get affected till the later stages of the diseases are reached.

The main cause of Retinitis pigmentosa is that can be acquired through inheritance. The disease starts with the changes in pigment which affects or destroys the small arteries as well as the blood vessels which is used to supply the blood to the retina. These effects of this disease can also harm the optic nerve.And all this harm caused due to the pigmentation begins within the layers of neural retina.

In the developing stage of this disease retinal blood vessels start thinning.

This slowly affects the light sensitive cells of the retina. In this process both the photoreceptors i.e. the cone and the rod, get influenced. It is type of the inherited defect that decides which of the cells will be affected more. The failure of rod photoreceptors is most common in Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Chromosomes effecting Retinitis pigmentosa:

Till today, about 50 different inherited deficiencies have been diagnosed which can be connected with Retinitis Pigmentosa. Near about 30 to 40% are autosomal dominant, while 50 to 60% are autosomal recessive and rest 5 to 15% are related to X- chromosome(which is generally passed from mother to her son).

In the beginning the autosomal dominant forms show very minor symptoms, which are generally seen around the late fifties or sixties. The most severe form is the X-linked form. This form is marked with the loss of central vision which may be noticed in very early years of life i.e. somewhere around thirties.

Statistics of Retinitis pigmentosa:

The main cause of the disease Retinis Pigmentosa is heredity retinal degeneration-associated blindness. The occurrence of this disease is 1 in 4,000 in all age groups and 1 in 3,195 in inhabitants aged 45 to 64. It affects men more as compared to the women and other types have no ethic or sex preferences.

TTreatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa in India

The treatment of this disease is generally diagnosed by examining the retina using the slit lamp biomicrosopy.

Till date there is no healing treatment related to this disease which can prevent or block the progressive effect of the vision loss. There are number of research centers including anti-oxidantand gene therapies that are trying to bring some discoveries in the treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa.