Retinitis pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a "degenerative genetic disease of the eye" affecting almost one person in 3,500. It is characterized by the mutation of certain genes responsible for the functioning of the retina. Located at the back of the eye, where images are formed, the retina is damaged, leading to a progressive loss of visual acuity.

Affecting everyday life, retinitis pigmentosa is generally characterized by a loss of night vision (difficulty seeing at night or in a dark room), hypersensitivity to light, difficulty perceiving colors and a reduced visual field (inability to see certain things up, down and to the sides, resulting in a reduction in peripheral vision).

Evolving slowly but usually to blindness, retinitis pigmentosa can appear at any age, and particularly in people between the ages of 10 and 30. In many cases, the disease can be treated with medication, and sometimes even surgery.