Summary
A case of a 71-year-old woman showing pigmentary degeneration of the retina associated with posterior subcapsular cataract in one eye, with a normal fellow eye, is presented. Clinical examinations of the patient were performed in order to rule out the various causes which are known to produce funduscopic features that mimic retinitis pigmentosa. Since these investigations were all negative, the fundus changes were interpreted as a unilateral retinitis pigmentosa. One year later, the patient was re-examined and an exfoliation syndrome was discovered in the affected eye, while the fellow eye was unchanged. An association of unilateral retinitis pigmentosa and exfoliation syndrome in the same eye can be regarded as exceptional. The possibility of a correlation of the pathogenetic mechanisms involved in the development of both conditions is discussed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Auerbach E, Rowe H. The ‘good’ eye in unilateral retinitis pigmentosa. Ophthalmologica 1986; 155: 98–116.
Bernstein HV, Ginsberg J. The pathology of chloroquine retinopathy. Arch Ophthalmol 1964; 71: 238–41.
Carr RE, Siegel IM. Unilateral retinitis pigmentosa. Arch Ophthalmol 1973; 90: 21–26.
Carr RE. Primary retinal degenerations. Clinical Ophthalmology 3, Chap. 24. Philadelphia: Harper and Row, 1984: 1–19.
Carr RE, Siegel IM. Electrophysiologic aspects of several retinal diseases. Amer J Ophthalmol 1964; 58: 95–107.
Fishman GA, Anderson RG, Lourengo P. Prevalence of posterior subcapsular lens opacities in patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Br J Ophthalmol 1985; 69: 263–66.
François J, Verriest G. Retinopathie pigmentaire unilaterale. Ophthalmologica 1952; 124: 65–88.
Gartner S, Henkind P. Pathology of retinitis pigmentosa. Ophthalmology 1982; 89: 1425–32.
Gouras S, Carr RE. Light induced DC responses on monkey retina before and after central retinal artery interruption. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1965; 4: 310–17.
Hollenhorst RW, Svien HJ, Benoit CF. Unilateral blindness occurring during anesthesia for neurosurgical operations. Arch Ophthalmol 1954; 52: 819–30.
Kandori F, Tamai A, Watanabe T, Kurimoto S. Unilateral pigmentary degeneration of the retina. Amer J Ophthalmol 1968; 66: 1091–1101.
Kolb H, Galloway NR. Three cases of unilateral pigmentary degeneration. Br J Ophthalmol 1964; 48: 471–79.
Krill AE, Iser G. Unilateral retinitis pigmentosa with glaucoma. Arch Ophthalmol 1959; 61: 626–30.
Lauring L. Chromosomal mosaicism and unilateral retinitis pigmentosa. J Ped Ophthalmol 1970; 7: 33–36.
Maeder G, Muller P. La retinite pigmentaire unilaterale. Ann Ocul 1950; 183: 771–76.
Moro F, Crepaldi A. Retinopatia pigmentosa monolaterale. Ann Oftalmol Clin Ocul 1965; 91: 798–814.
Pedraglia. Klinische Beobachtungen. Retinitis Pigmentosa. Klin Mbl Augenheilk 1865; 3: 114–17.
Shoji Y. Retinite pigmentaire congenitale unilaterale non syphilitique. Arch Ophthalmol 1926; 43: 402–407.
Smith JL, Singer JA, Moore MB Jr, Tobs AR. Seronegative ocular and neurosyphilis. Amer J Ophthalmol 1965; 59: 753–62.
Spinelli D, De Felice GP, Vigasio F, Coggi G. The iris vessels in the exfoliation syndrome: ultrastructural changes. Exp Eye Res 1985; 41: 449–55.
Sverak J, Peregrin J, Velicky J. Unilateral pigmentary degeneration. Acta Ophthalmol 1968; 46: 1256–62.
Weekley RD. Pigmentary retinopathy in patients receiving high doses of a new phenothiazine. Arch Ophthalmol 1960; 64: 65–68.
Weiss JF, Nicholl RJ. Nonsyphilitic unilateral retinitis pigmentosa. Amer J Ophthalmol 1968; 65: 573–74.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
de Felice, G.P., Bottoni, F. & Orzalesi, N. Unilateral retinitis pigmentosa associated with exfoliation syndrome. Int Ophthalmol 11, 219–226 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00131020
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00131020