Dystrophy or No Dystrophy: A Retinal Puzzle

Diseases affecting the peripheral retina are usually associated with diminished rod photoreceptor function and thus present with nyctalopia, i.e., night blindness. Such patients should be thoroughly investigated for different causes of nyctalopia, including rod dystrophies, xerophthalmia, and peripheral retinal vascular diseases (such as retinopathy of prematurity, familial exudative vitreoretinopathy, and Coats’ disease). We hereby report a challenging case of nyctalopia with peripheral avascular retina in a teenage boy and how an ophthalmic diagnosis led to the unravelling of hidden issues.