In 2002, a 2-month-old male infant was a ssessed by the general paediatric and paediatric ophthalmic services for roving eye movements and abnormal responses to visual cues. No concerns were raised about the child’s general health, but visual electrophysiology showed widespread photoreceptor cell dysfunction and retinal examination showed midperipheral fi ne pigment mottling and attenuation of retinal blood vessels (appendix). The child was diagnosed with non-syndromic infantile-onset retinal dystrophy, a common cause of visual impairment that is progressive and currently untreatable. The patient and his family have had regular follow-up and educational support and the family was referred for genetic counselling. In 2006, the proband’s younger sister presented with similar symptoms shortly after birth and we diagnosed the same condition (appendix).Genetic testing in retinal dystrophies has always been challenging because of the great genetic heterogeneity associated with these conditions. More than 20 genes have been linked with infantile-onset retinal dystrophy.
