Retinitis pigmentosa is best described as which of the following?

Prepare for the ACVREP Orientation and Mobility (OandM) Exam. Use our study aids and multiple-choice questions, each with detailed explanations. Boost your confidence and succeed!

Retinitis pigmentosa is a hereditary, progressive retinal dystrophy that begins with degeneration of the rod photoreceptors, which are essential for night vision. Because the rods fail first, people commonly experience night blindness and a gradual loss of peripheral vision, often progressing to tunnel vision as the field constricts. Central (color) vision may be preserved until later stages. On exam, doctors may see bone-spicule pigmentation in the mid-peripheral retina, and tests of retinal function (ERG) typically show reduced activity. It’s not an acute inflammatory disease with sudden vision loss, not primarily a color-vision problem, and not a temporary metabolic imbalance. For orientation and mobility, this pattern means more challenges in dim lighting and with traveling in unfamiliar places, and management emphasizes strategies that maximize available vision, such as improved lighting, high-contrast cues, and mobility training suited to a shrinking visual field.