retinitis pigmentosa

noun retinitis pig·men·to·sa \ -ˌpig-mən-ˈtō-sə , -(ˌ)men- , -zə \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

Definition of retinitis pigmentosa

: any of several hereditary progressive degenerative diseases of the eye marked by night blindness in the early stages, atrophy and pigment changes in the retina, constriction of the visual field, and eventual blindness

Recent Examples of retinitis pigmentosa from the Web

Luxturna was designed to address the RPE65 genetic mutation — in the best cases, permanently — for patients who have RPE65-associated retinitis pigmentosa or leber congenital amaurosis.

— julia belluz, Vox, "Doctors just used a brand new gene therapy to try to save a child’s vision," 22 Mar. 2018
At 13 years old, Umstead was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare genetic disorder that involves the breakdown and loss of cells in the retina.

— jason duaine hahn, PEOPLE.com, "Blind Paralympic Skier Danelle Umstead Is 'Living the Impossible' — with Her Husband as Her Guide," 9 Mar. 2018
Doctors diagnosed me with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition that causes complete blindness over time.

— eileen reslen, Cosmopolitan, "I'm A Paralympic Alpine Skier, And I Don't Let My Blindness Hold Me Back," 1 Feb. 2018
Children with the gene mutation often are diagnosed at an early age with disorders such as Leber congenital amaurosis or retinitis pigmentosa.

— paige winfield cunningham, Washington Post, "The Health 202: The tax overhaul is actually a big win for insurers and drugmakers," 20 Dec. 2017
Diseases that cause such loss include macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, Thorogood said.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Retinal prosthesis could enable blind to see shapes, even text," 5 Sep. 2017
Worldwide, more than 225 people with retinitis pigmentosa have been fitted with the Argus II.

— NBC News, "Scientists Foresee Fixes Even for Complicated Forms of Blindness," 3 Oct. 2017
There are actually many kinds of retinal dystrophies, including Leber congenital amaurosis and retinitis pigmentosa.

— kate sheridan, Newsweek, "Gene Therapy: How a New Cure for Blindness Reverses Retinal Dystrophy," 12 Oct. 2017
Children with the dysfunctional gene often are diagnosed at an early age with disorders such as Leber congenital amaurosis or retinitis pigmentosa.

— laurie mcginley, Washington Post, "FDA advisers urge approval for first gene therapy for inherited disease," 12 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'retinitis pigmentosa.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.