A retinite pigmentosa (RP) é a forma mais comum de doença hereditária da retina em todo o mundo, com uma prevalência global estimada de 1 em 4000.[6]Cross N, van Steen C, Zegaoui Y, et al. Retinitis pigmentosa: burden of disease and current unmet needs. Clin Ophthalmol. 2022;16:1993-2010.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9232096
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35757022?tool=bestpractice.com
[7]Verbakel SK, van Huet RAC, Boon CJF, et al. Non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa. Prog Retin Eye Res. 2018 Sep;66:157-86.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1350946217300721?via%3Dihub
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29597005?tool=bestpractice.com
[8]Jain N, Maguire MG, Flaxel CJ, et al. Dietary supplementation for retinitis pigmentosa: a report by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology. 2025 Mar;132(3):354-67.
https://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420(24)00553-0/fulltext
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39453328?tool=bestpractice.com
No entanto, a prevalência varia de acordo com o país. Estudos de base populacional relatam uma prevalência relativamente maior, de 1 em 750, na Índia (e 1 em 372 no cenário rural e 1 em 930 em áreas urbanas).[9]Nangia V, Jonas JB, Khare A, et al. Prevalence of retinitis pigmentosa in India: the Central India Eye and Medical Study. Acta Ophthalmol. 2012 Dec;90(8):e649-50.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1755-3768.2012.02396.x
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22594809?tool=bestpractice.com
[10]Sen P, Bhargava A, George R, et al. Prevalence of retinitis pigmentosa in South Indian population aged above 40 years. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2008 Jul-Aug;15(4):279-81.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18780262?tool=bestpractice.com
Uma prevalência de 1 em 6500 foi relatada na Coreia do Sul e de 1 em 1700 em Singapura.[11]Rim TH, Park HW, Kim DW, et al. Four-year nationwide incidence of retinitis pigmentosa in South Korea: a population-based retrospective study from 2011 to 2014. BMJ Open. 2017 May;7(5):e015531.
https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/5/e015531.long
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28490561?tool=bestpractice.com
[12]Teo CL, Cheung N, Poh S, et al. Prevalence of retinitis pigmentosa in Singapore: the Singapore Epidemiology of Eye Diseases Study. Acta Ophthalmol. 2021 Feb;99(1):e134-5.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/aos.14483
Na Europa, a prevalência foi relatada como aproximadamente 1 em 3000-4000 na Dinamarca e na Noruega, e <1 em 7000 na Espanha.[6]Cross N, van Steen C, Zegaoui Y, et al. Retinitis pigmentosa: burden of disease and current unmet needs. Clin Ophthalmol. 2022;16:1993-2010.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9232096
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35757022?tool=bestpractice.com
As taxas de RP autossômica dominante (RPAD), autossômica recessiva (RPAR) e ligada ao cromossomo X (RPLX) variam consideravelmente de região para região. Um estudo com fontes médicas e de assistência social realizado no Maine relatou taxas de 19% para a RPAD, 65% para a RPAR e 8% para a RPLX.[13]Bunker CH, Berson EL, Bromley WC, et al. Prevalence of retinitis pigmentosa in Maine. Am J Ophthalmol. 1984 Mar;97(3):357-65.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6702974?tool=bestpractice.com
Rastreamentos em massa na China revelaram taxas de 5.2% para a RPAD, 3.0% para a RPLX e 91.8% para a RPAR.[14]Hu DN. Prevalence and mode of inheritance of major genetic eye diseases in China. J Med Genet. 1987 Oct;24(10):584-8.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1050283/pdf/jmedgene00084-0008.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3500313?tool=bestpractice.com
Em uma série do Reino Unido, as taxas foram de 39% RPAD, 25% RPLX e 36% RPAR.[15]Jay M. On the heredity of retinitis pigmentosa. Br J Ophthalmol. 1982 Jul;66(7):405-16.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1039814/pdf/brjopthal00175-0011.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7093178?tool=bestpractice.com
A idade de início é variável e depende da mutação envolvida.[6]Cross N, van Steen C, Zegaoui Y, et al. Retinitis pigmentosa: burden of disease and current unmet needs. Clin Ophthalmol. 2022;16:1993-2010.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9232096
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/35757022?tool=bestpractice.com
A RP ligada ao cromossomo X afeta principalmente homens e está associada a início precoce e doença grave.[16]Di Iorio V, Karali M, Melillo P, et al. Spectrum of disease severity in patients with X-linked retinitis pigmentosa due to RPGR mutations. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2020 Dec;61(14):36.
https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2772123
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33372982?tool=bestpractice.com
As portadoras do sexo feminino pode apresentar uma grande variedade de doença atípica e/ou assimétrica devido à inativação aleatória do cromossomo X.[17]Fahim AT, Sullivan LS, Bowne SJ, et al. X-chromosome inactivation is a biomarker of clinical severity in female carriers of RPGR-associated X-linked retinitispigmentosa. Ophthalmol Retina. 2020 May;4(5):510-20.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468653019306347?via%3Dihub
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31953110?tool=bestpractice.com
Embora algumas portadoras do sexo feminino possam apresentar doença subclínica e ficar assintomáticas, outras podem apresentar doença grave com características clássicas de RP.[17]Fahim AT, Sullivan LS, Bowne SJ, et al. X-chromosome inactivation is a biomarker of clinical severity in female carriers of RPGR-associated X-linked retinitispigmentosa. Ophthalmol Retina. 2020 May;4(5):510-20.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468653019306347?via%3Dihub
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31953110?tool=bestpractice.com
[18]Churchill JD, Bowne SJ, Sullivan LS, et al. Mutations in the X-linked retinitis pigmentosa genes RPGR and RP2 found in 8.5% of families with a provisional diagnosis of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013 Feb;54(2):1411-6.
https://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2128265
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23372056?tool=bestpractice.com