A study on ocular and systemic manifestations of retinitis pigmentosa

To study the pattern of ocular and systemic manifestations associated with retinitis pigmentosa and syndromic correlation and preventive strategies for the same. : A prospective study on patients visiting blindness camp at our hospital, done over a period of 1 year. Each patient, age, sex, complaints, visual acuity, anterior segment findings and dilated fundus examination, B scan and Visual field analysis were done. : A total of 50 eyes in 25 patients were investigated, of which 56% females and 44% males, 40% had a history of consanguinous marriage, positive family history of retinitis pigmentosa was noted in 20%. Night blindness (58.2%) and blurred vision (27.1%) were the main visual complaints. The BCVA showed that 03 patients had complete loss of vision, and 22 patients had low vision, among ocular findings most common was maculopathy (26.3%) followed by vitreous degenerations, other findings like nystagmus, microcornea, optic atrophy and posterior subcapsular cataract (most common anterior segment finding) were also present, and 4 patients had associated mental retardation, polydactyly and hypogonadism suggestive of Bardet Biedl syndrome. Thus from our study we bring to light the common ocular and syndromic associations of retinitis pigmentosa to provide awareness about the disease and genetic counselling and its benefits to the patient and their families and the use of low vision aids to improving the quality of life. There is no known prescription practice cure for the disease at present, we can help in rehablitation of such patients and prevent the disease by proper genetic counselling.