Sensorineural hearing loss in patients with typical retinitis pigmentosa.

We performed detailed audiologic testing in 45 patients with retinitis pigmentosa and 45 age- and sex-matched controls. Ten (22%) of the retinitis pigmentosa patients had a sensorineural hearing loss that varied from mild to severe. None of the control subjects had a hearing loss. Audiograms measured over a ten- to 30-year period were available for four patients with retinitis pigmentosa and each showed progressive hearing loss. The results indicate the important role of audiologic evaluation in treating patients with retinitis pigmentosa.