Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of related eye disorders caused by variations in 60 genes that affect the retina (terms highlighted in teal are labeled on the diagram of the eye above). In people with RP, vision loss occurs as the light-sensing cells of the retina gradually die off. The severity and how fast the disease progresses can vary from person to person with RP, depending on the gene affected. RP can first appear during childhood (early onset RP) or during adulthood. The first sign of RP is usually loss of night vision, called night blindness. Later, RP causes blind spots to develop in the peripheral (side) vision. Over time, these blind spots progress to reduced peripheral vision. The disease progresses over time to eventually affect central vision, necessary for tasks such as reading, driving, and recognizing faces.

Find out more about inherited retinal diseases.