X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) is a severe form of inherited retinal degeneration that primarily affects the rod photoreceptors (Demirci et al., 2002). It typically causes an early-onset night blindness and loss of peripheral vision, often causing patients to become legally blind by the age of 30 to 40 years. In RP3, affected males have a severe phenotype, and carrier females show a wide spectrum of clinical features ranging from completely asymptomatic to severe RP (Jin et al., 2007). Mutation in the RPGR gene is believed to account for approximately 70% of XLRP (Vervoort et al., 2000).
For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of retinitis pigmentosa, see 268000. [from
OMIM]