Rare diseases · Sign or symptom

Rod-cone dystrophy

HP:0000510

What it means

An inherited retinal disease subtype in which the rod photoreceptors appear to be more severely affected than the cone photoreceptors. Typical presentation is with nyctalopia (due to rod dysfunction) followed by loss of mid-peripheral field of vision, which gradually extends and leaves many patients with a small central island of vision due to the preservation of macular cones.

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of hereditary diseases of the eye. However, the term retinitis pigmentosa has also been used to describe the retinal findings characteristic of these diseases but also seen on other diseases such as Usher syndrome. It is preferable to describe the findings precisely if possible, but this term is kept for convenience.

Rare diseases that can present with this43

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category

Also called: Retinitis pigmentosa · Rod cone dystrophy

Rod-cone dystrophy

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This page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.