Master's Theses

Department

Biology

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

Retinitis pigmentosa is a chronic, progressive, hereditary disease of unknown aetiology. The symptoms of the disease follow a set pattern of progression and usually terminate with blindness. It starts the insidious path to blindness at various ages. The disease is diagnosed when the syndrome is completed. Retinitis pigmentosa has been investigated for over three-quarters of a century. Even with diligent research, no satisfactory treatment has been found. The essential feature of the pathology of retinitis pigmentosa is a progressive degeneration of the neuroepithelium. There are three major types of inheritance of the disease. They are (1) autosomal dominant, (2) autosomal recessive, and (3) sex-linkage. Data were obtained from questionnaires, personal interviews with afflicted persons, and literature reviewed. Discrepancies were found between the answers received through interviews and conclusions found in literature. No conclusions could be drawn from the pedigrees obtained from afflicted persons but it was found that they follow a pattern similar to the three major types of inheritance.

Keywords

Usher's syndrome, Retinitis pigmentosa, Eye, Genetic disorders, Interviews, Testing, Research, Ophthalmologist

Advisor

Dr. Gerald Wayne Tomanek

Date of Award

Summer 1964

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Rights

© The Author(s)

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