Retinitis pigmentosa is a term that describes a group of conditions that cause retinal degeneration leading to progressive vision loss and often blindness. There are nonsyndromic, syndromic, and systemic forms of retinitis pigmentosa. The syndromic and systemic forms affect not only the eyes and vision, but also other systems such as hearing, the heart, etc. Nonsyndromic forms of retinitis pigmentosa affect only the vision and eyes. Nonsyndromic forms of retinitis pigmentosa are not lethal. Some syndromic and systemic forms of retinitis pigmentosa may cause other life-threatening problems that could limit a person’s life span. For more on the life expectancy of syndromic or systemic forms of retinitis pigmentosa, search the specific diagnosis in question.
Individuals with nonsyndromic retinitis pigmentosa typically do not have significantly shortened life spans as compared to the average, unaffected individual. The vision loss associated with this disease could lead to complications or injuries that could affect an individual’s life span, but overall, life expectancy in individuals with nonsyndromic retinitis pigmentosa is normal.
