Retinitis Pigmentosa

It is a medically proven fact that RP (Retinitis Pigmentosa) is an inherited disease. What isn't necessarily clear is which children of parents who have the disease inherit this disorder.

Since genetic mutations can be passed from parent to children and depending on the inheritance pattern may affect some children and not others. For instance in the autosomal recessive pattern, parents carry the gene but do not have symptoms of their own and may have some children who do have RP and others who do not. In the autosomal dominant pattern, there is always one parent who not only carries the disease by is also symptomatic and the children may or may not be affected. If a family has an XLinked genetic inheritance pattern, only the male children will be affected but the female children will carry the genetic trace but may not suffer vision loss.

It is currently estimated that 100,000 people in the United States are affected by Retinitis Pigmentosa which is characterized by a loss of peripheral vision ultimately resulting in blindness. Blindness in RP is specified that the vision has decreased to 20 degrees or less (normal vision is 180 degrees). Most people who have Retinitis pigmentosa are legally blind by the age of 40.