Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa destroys the photoreceptor cells in the retina, the part of eye that captures and processes light necessary to see. Once these cells - often referred to as rods and cones - are destroyed, vision will be lost.

Unfortunately, the outlook for people with retinitis pigmentosa is often bleak. There is no cure for this group of inherited, degenerative eye diseases. Symptoms are generally first recognized during adolescence or young adulthood, and the majority of people with retinitis pigmentosa are legally blind by the age of 40.

Currently, treatment methods for retinitis pigmentosa are limited. A daily dose of 15,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A may moderately slow the progression of the disease. Researchers are also investigating a variety of treatments, including the use of gene therapy, pharmaceuticals or nutrition, which may eventually treat the disease or reduce its vision loss symptoms. A procedure called retinal cell transplantation is also showing promise as a future treatment of retinitis pigmentosa.

For more information on treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, please contact us. Select your state below for a consultation.