ABSTRACT
The retina is a relatively inaccessible, complex tissue that poses challenges for researchers who attempt to unravel pathogenic events causing diseases. Nevertheless, there has been substantial progress in elucidating the molecular and genetic basis of hereditary retinal diseases during the past 15 years. As of December 19, 2007, 190 genes have been mapped and 138 have been cloned for retinal diseases (https://www. sph.uth.tmc.edu/Retnet/). These advances are exciting since with further research this information holds the promise for treatments. It is now more important than ever to correctly diagnose and genotype patients with hereditary retinal disease.
