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retinitis pigmentosa

American  
[pig-men-toh-suh, -muhn-] / ˌpɪg mɛnˈtoʊ sə, -mən- /

noun

Ophthalmology.
  1. degeneration of the retina manifested by night blindness and gradual loss of peripheral vision, eventually resulting in tunnel vision or total blindness.


retinitis pigmentosa British  
/ ˌpɪɡmənˈtəʊsə /

noun

  1. a degenerative hereditary disease of the human eye, characterized by pigmentary changes in the retina, night blindness, and eventual loss of vision

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

retinitis pigmentosa Scientific  
/ rĕt′n-ītĭspĭg′mĕn-tōsə /
  1. A hereditary degenerative disease of the retina, characterized by difficulty seeing at night, pigmentary changes within the retina, and eventual loss of vision.


Etymology

Origin of retinitis pigmentosa

1860–65; < New Latin: pigmentary retinitis. See pigment, -ose 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

There are at least three studies testing epitalon in humans, including in retinitis pigmentosa.

From MarketWatch Jul. 23, 2026

That designation was later withdrawn or revoked by BioDiem, an Australian biotech that had planned to test epitalon for retinitis pigmentosa, a condition that affects at least 80,000 people in the U.S.

From MarketWatch Jul. 23, 2026

Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at 18, Petrou later advocated for “EyeBonds” and tax incentives to fund blindness research.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 12, 2026

McCausland, 47, was registered blind after losing his sight to retinitis pigmentosa in his 20s.

From BBC Dec. 14, 2024

It’s called retinitis pigmentosa and it’s like watching the world through a toilet paper roll.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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