photophobia

Evidence of glaucoma can appear in early childhood but may appear much later.  However, typical signs such as enlarged corneas or frank buphthalmos, cloudiness of the corneas, tearing and photophobia are present only when the pressure is elevated due to pupillary block or when the lens migrates into the anterior chamber.  Most patients have additional signs such as ectopia lentis and spherophakia.

Some patients have osteopenia, a high arched palate, and a marfanoid habitus.

This form of congenital glaucoma has been described primarily in Middle Eastern and Asian as well as Roma/Gypsy families and is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern.  The mutations occur in the LTBP2 gene (14q24) which is in close proximity to GLC3C, another putative gene with mutations causing congenital glaucoma. 

Mutations in other genes are also associated with primary congenital glaucoma such as in CYP1B1 causing type A (231300) and in GLC3B causing type B (600975).

THIS IS NOT A PRIMARY GLAUCOMA DISORDER.  Microspherophakia and ectopia lentis are not features of primary congenital glaucoma.  Elevated pressures in these patients are found only when there is a pupillary block or when the lens dislocates into the anterior chamber.  The enlarged cornea is clear and has no breaks in the Descemet membrane.  THIS CONDITION IS THEREFORE RECLASSIFIED AS “MEGALOCORNEA, ECTOPIA LENTIS, AND SPHEROPHAKIA”.     

The usual surgical and pharmacological treatments for glaucoma apply but vision preservation is a challenge.  The spherophakic or dislocated lenses may need to be removed.

The iris and retina lack normal pigmentation and translucency of the iris can be demonstrated.  Anomalous decussation of neuronal axons in the chiasm and foveal hypoplasia result in decreased visual acuity.  Vision loss into the range of 20/100-20/200 does not progress after early childhood but is sometimes as good as 20/30.   Nystagmus is often present from about 3-4 months of age although it is less severe than in type I oculocutaneous albinism (203100, 606952).  The iris may darken to some extent with age.  Strabismus has been reported.  Significant refractive errors are often present and stereopsis is reduced.  The VEP responses are altered and can be used to document abnormal chiasmal decussation. 

Melanin pigment is reduced in the skin and hair as well as the eyes.  Individuals at birth may be misdiagnosed as OCA type I but it is common for pigmentation to increase in older individuals resulting in yellow or reddish-blond hair and the appearance of freckles and nevi.  The skin may be creamy-white but this is often not as striking as in OCAI.  It is possible for tanning to take place in some patients.  This condition in Africans or African Americans is sometimes called brown oculocutaneous albinism (BOCA).  There is an increased risk of skin cancer of all types. 

Type II is the most common type of oculocutaneous albinism and is especially prevalent among individuals of African heritage and in several Native American populations.  It is an autosomal recessive condition caused by homozygous 2.7 kb deletions in the OCA2 gene (15q24.3-q12).  Heterozygotes have normal pigmentation. 

Oculocutaneous albinism type I (203100, 606952) is a separate disorder with many similar features caused by mutations in the TYR gene.  Other types of autosomal recessive albinism are OCA3 (203290 ), and OCA4 (606574). 

No treatment is available for the hypopigmentation.  Low vision aids can be helpful. Significant refractive errors should, of course, be corrected and dark lenses may be helpful during outdoor activities. The skin should be protected from excessive sun exposure. 

Symptoms of photophobia and reduced vision are present in the first years of life.  Pendular nystagmus is common.  Reduced night vision is noted by the end of the first decade of life.  OCT reveals reduced foveal and retinal thickness.  The macula appears atrophic with pigment mottling and the peripheral retina can resemble retinitis pigmentosa with bone spicule pigment changes.  Retinal vessels may be narrow.  The ERG show reduced responses in both photopic and scotopic recordings.  This form of rod-cone dystrophy is progressive with central acuity decreasing with age. 

The teeth are abnormally shaped and discolored from birth.  The amelogenesis imperfecta consists of hypoplasia and hypomineralization that is present in both deciduous and permanent teeth.  Tooth enamel is mineralized only to 50% of normal and is similar to that of dentine. 

This is an autosomal recessive condition caused by mutations in the CNNM4 gene at 2q11.2. 

No treatment is available for the ocular condition but red-tinted lenses and low vision aids may be helpful.  The teeth require dental repair. 

Oculocutaneous albinism is common to all types of HPS.  The ocular manifestations are similar to that of other types of albinism.  Iris transillumination defects, nystagmus, and strabismus are common features.   Visual acuity is usually stable in the range of 20/40-20/300 and often accompanied by photophobia.  Foveal hypoplasia and fundus hypopigmentation are present similar to that found in other albinism disorders.  The same is true of excessive decussation of retinal neuron axons at the chiasm.  Many patients have significant refractive errors. 

In addition to decreased hair, ocular, and skin pigmentation, HPS patients suffer from bleeding diathesis, platelet deficiencies, and accumulation of ceroid material in lysosomes.  Pigment can be found in large amounts in reticuloendothelial cells and in the walls of small blood vessels.  Some of the same features are found in Chédiak-Higashi  syndrome (203300) which, however, has in addition qualitative changes in leukocytes.   HPS 2 differs from other forms of HPS in having immunodeficiency and congenital neutropenia.  Some patients, especially those with HPS1 and HPS4 mutations, have restrictive lung disease secondary to pulmonary fibrosis often causing symptoms in the third and fourth decades of life.  Others have granulomatous colitis, kidney failure, and cardiomyopathy.  Solar skin damage is a risk, including actinic keratosis, nevi, lentigines and basal cell carcinoma.

Bleeding time is prolonged secondary to an impairment of the normal aggregation response of platelets.  Easy bruising, epistaxis, prolonged bleeding during menstruation, after tooth extraction, and minor surgical procedures are often reported.  Platelets lack the normal number of ‘dense bodies’.  Coagulation factor activity and platelet counts are normal.

The amount of hair and skin pigmentation is highly variable.  Some patients are so lightly pigmented that they are misdiagnosed as having tyrosinase-negative albinism while others have yellow to brown hair with irides blue to hazel.  Some darkening of hair is common. 

This is an autosomal recessive genetically heterogeneous condition resulting from mutations in at least 8 genes: HPS1 (203300) at 10q23.1-q23.2, AP3B1 causing HPS2 (608233) at 5q14.1, HPS3 (606118) at 3q24, HPS4 (606682) at 22q11.2-q12.2, HPS5 (607521) at 11p15-p13, HPS6 (607522) at 10q24.32.  HPS7 is caused by mutations in the DTNBP1 gene (607145) located at locus 6p22.3 and HPS8 by mutations in the BLOC1S3 gene (609762) at 19q13.  The nature of the mutations is variable and often unique to the population in which they are found. 

Chédiak-Higashi  syndrome (214500) is a somewhat similar disorder but but with leukocyte abnormalities and results from a different gene mutation.

It has been suggested that any patients with pigmentation disorders should be asked about bleeding problems to rule out HPS.  A hematologic consultation should be obtained if necessary, especially before elective surgery, to avoid bleeding complications through the use of appropriate preoperative measures.   Low vision aids can be helpful.  The skin should be protected from sunburn.  Lifelong surveillance is required for ocular and systemic problems.  The use of aspirin and indomethacin should be avoided. 

The disorder begins in the first year of life with a band of vascularized opacification inside the limbus.  Evidence of inflammation is seen in the anterior stroma and the Bowman membrane becomes replaced by fibrovascular tissue.  The disease is recurrent and progressive and there is usually asymmetry between the two eyes.  Non-penetrance and considerable variation in expression have been reported.  Acute episodes are characterized by photophobia, tearing, mucous discharge, and punctate keratitis.  The limbal opacification may progress centrally and eventually leads to a reduction in vision.  Deficits in visual acuity may lead to deprivation amblyopia and secondary esotropia.

In a 4 generation family, foveal hypoplasia, iris stromal defects, and ectropion uveae were seen in several of the fifteen affected individuals.  It has been suggested that this may be a variant of aniridia. 

No systemic disease has been found. 

This is an autosomal dominant disorder reported in several multigeneration families.  Mutations in the PAX6 gene (11p13) seem to be responsible.  The same gene is mutant in Gillespie syndrome (206700), aniridia (106210) and Peters anomaly (604229). 

There is no effective treatment.  Penetrating keratoplasty in several individuals has been followed by similar disease in the donor tissue. 

Cone-rod dystrophies (CRD) are group of pigmentary retinopathies that have early and important changes in the macula.  Cone dysfunction occurs first and is often followed by rod photoreceptor degeneration.

Common initial symptoms are decreased visual acuity, dyschromatopsia, and photophobia which are often noted in the first decade of life.  Night blindness occurs later as the disease progresses.  A fine nystagmus is also common. Visual field defects include an initial central scotoma with patchy peripheral defects followed by larger defects in later stages.  The fundus exam can be normal initially, but is followed by pigmentary bone spicule changes, attenuation of retinal vessels, waxy pallor of the optic disc and retinal atrophy.  The ERG first reveals photopic defects and later scotopic changes.  Fluorescein angiography and fundus autofluorescence generally reveal atrophic retinopathy.  Many patients eventually become legally blind as the disease progresses and some end up with no light perception.

Cone-rod dystrophies are a group of disorders separate from rod-cone dystrophies where the primary defect is in the rod photoreceptors with typical pigmentary changes in the peripheral retina. The progression of vision loss is generally slower in rod-cone dystrophies. Cone dystrophies comprise another group of disorders with exclusive cone involvement in which the macula often has a normal appearance in association with loss of central acuity.

No systemic disease is associated with simple cone-rod dystrophies.  See below for syndromal disorders with cone-rod dystrophy. 

Non-syndromic cone-rod dystrophies can be either autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive or X-linked and are caused by defects in at least 17 different genes.  This database entry discusses only the autosomal disorders.  See X-linked cone-rod dystrophies in a separate entry.

Cone-rod dystrophies inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern include:

CORD2 (120970) is caused by mutations in CRX at 19q13.3, a homeobox gene responsible for the development of photoreceptor cells.  These are responsible for 5-10% of autosomal dominant cone-rod dystrophy cases (602225) and can also cause one type (LCA7) of Leber congenital amaurosis (602225) and a late-onset retinitis pigmentosa phenotype.

CORD5 (600977) is caused by mutations in the PITPNM3 gene at 17p13.1. 

CORD6 (601777) is caused by a mutation in GUCY2D in a similar location on chromosome 17. 

CORD7 (603649) is caused by mutations in RIMS1 at 6q12-q13.

Mutations in AIPL1 (604392), located in the same region, usually causes a form of Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA4) as well as retinitis pigmentosa (604393) but has also been reported in a cone-rod pigmentary retinopathy.

CORD11 (610381) is caused by mutations in RAXL1 (19p13.3).

CORD12 (612657) results from mutations in the PROM1 gene (4p15.3).

Mutations in the gene GUCA1A on chromosome 6p21.1 causes CORD14 (602093).

Cone-rod dystrophies inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern include:

Mutations in ABCA4 at 1p21-p13 is responsible for 30-60% of cases of autosomal recessive CRD (CORD3; 604116) .  ABCA4 is also known to cause autosomal recessive Stargardt disease.

CORD8 (605549) has been found in a single consanguineous family and the mutation localized to 1q12-q24.

ADAM9 (602713) at 8p11 and 8p11.23 contains mutations that have been shown to cause autosomal recessive CORD9 in several consanguineous families.

Mutations in RPGRIP1 (14q11) are responsible for CORD13 (608194).

The CDHR1 gene (10q23.1) contains mutations that cause CORD15 (613660).

Other autosomal CRD disorders are CORD1 (600624) described in a single individual and possibly those due to mutations in HRG4 at 17q11.2 (604011).

Syndromal cone-rod dystrophies:

Cone-rod dystrophy may also be associated with other syndromes, such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome (209900), or spinocerebellar ataxia Type 7 (164500), autosomal recessive amelogenesis imperfecta with cone-rod dystrophy or Jalili syndrome (217080), neurofibromatosis type I (162200), and hypotrichosis with juvenile macular dystrophy and alopecia (601553).  Metabolic disorders associated with cone-rod dystrophy include Refsum disease with phytanic acid abnormality (266500) and Alport syndrome (301050). 

There is no treatment for these dystrophies but red-tinted lenses provide comfort and may sometimes improve acuity to some extent.  Low vision aids can be helpful. 

Three X-linked forms of progressive cone-rod dystrophies each with mutations in different genes have been identified.  Central vision is often lost in the second or third decades of life but photophobia is usually noted before vision loss.  Cones are primarily involved but rod degeneration occurs over time.  The ERG reveals defective photopic responses early followed by a decrease in rod responses.   All three types are rare disorders affecting primarily males with symptoms of decreased acuity, photophobia, loss of color vision, and myopia.  The color vision defect early is incomplete but progressive cone degeneration eventually leads to achromatopsia.    Peripheral visual fields are usually full until late in the disease when constriction and nightblindness are evident.  The retina may have a tapetal-like sheen.  RPE changes in the macula often give it a granular appearance and there may be a bull’s-eye configuration.   Fine nystagmus may be present as well.  The optic nerve often has some pallor beginning temporally.  Carrier females can have some diminished acuity, myopia, RPE changes, and even photophobia but normal color vision and ERG responses at least among younger individuals.

There is considerable variation in the clinical signs and symptoms in the X-linked cone-rod dystrophies among both affected males and heterozygous females.  Visual acuity varies widely and is to some extent age dependent.  Vision can be normal into the fourth and fifth decades but may reach the count fingers level after that. 

None.

Mutations in at least 3 genes on the X chromosome cause X-linked cone-rod dystrophy.

CORDX1 (304020) is caused by mutations in an alternative exon 15 (ORG15) of the RPGR gene (Xp11.4) which is also mutant in several forms of retinitis pigmentosa (300455, 300029).

CORDX2 (300085) is caused by mutations in an unidentified gene at Xq27.  A single family has been reported.

CORDX3 (300476) results from mutations in CACNA1F.  Mutations in the same gene also cause a form of congenital stationary night blindness, CSNB2A (300071).  The latter, however, is a stationary disorder with significant nightblindness and mild dyschromatopsia, often with an adult onset, and is associated with high myopia. Aland Island Eye Disease (300600) is another allelic disorder.   

There is no treatment for these dystrophies but red-tinted lenses provide comfort and may sometimes improve acuity to some extent.  Low vision aids can be helpful. 

Stargardt disease or fundus flavimaculatus is a progressive form of juvenile macular degeneration with considerable clinical and genetic heterogeneity.  It may be considered a syndromal cone-rod dystrophy because of overlapping clinical features such as loss of color vision and photophobia in some patients.  Adding to the confusion is the fact that mutations in at least 4 genes are responsible for similar clinical characteristics.  Due to the lack of diagnostic distinctions and the wide range of nonspecific clinical manifestations, Stargardt disease and fundus flavimaculatus are discussed here as a single entity.

Onset of vision loss is often noted late in the first decade of life usually with rapid progression.  However, some patients are asymptomatic until much later, even into the fifth decade.  There is evidence that patients with an early onset have a worse prognosis compared to those with a later onset.  Nevertheless, large series of patients contain at least 23% with 20/40 or better acuity, about 20% with 20/50 -20/100, and 55% have 20/200-20/400 and a small number have vision less than 20/400. 

Some color discrimination is lost and photophobia may be a complaint.  Dark adaptation is prolonged but nightblindness does not usually occur and peripheral visual fields are normal.  The posterior pole characteristically has yellowish pisciform, round, and linear subretinal lipofuscin deposits which often extend to the equator.  These may be present before clinical symptoms are present.  Histopathology reveals accumulations of this material in RPE cells.  Atrophy of the RPE in the same region is often visible as well but these changes may be subtle initially.  Some patients have peripheral pigment clumping which may resemble the bone spicule configuration seen in retinitis pigmentosa.  However, retinal vessel caliber is normal in Stargardt disease.  Extensive macular disease can be associated with temporal pallor of the optic nerve.  The ERG shows reduced photopic responses with normal or near normal scotopic tracings.  Fluorescein angiography often reveals more extensive disease than seen on fundoscopy.  Window defects are common in the macula where the RPE is atrophied.  The flecks may be hypo- or hyperfluorescent.  Over 50% of patients have patches of angiographically dark choroid in the posterior pole which is thought to be secondary to transmission blockage by lipofuscin accumulations in the RPE. 

None.

This group of disorders may be caused by mutations in at least 4 genes.  These are: STGD1 (248200) caused by mutations in the ABCA4 gene located at 1p22.1, or in CNGB3 (262300) (8q21-q22) which also is mutant in achromatopsia 3 (ACHM3), STGD3 (605512) caused by mutations in the ELOVL4 gene at 6q14, and STGD4 (603786) caused by a mutation in PROM1 on chromosome 4p.  STGD4 and STGD3 disease have been found in pedigrees consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance but STGD1 disease seems to be inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern.

There is considerable diagnostic confusion regarding the clinical phenotypes and the classification of many patients.  In particular, areolar macular dystrophy, retinitis pigmentosa, juvenile macular degeneration, and cone dystrophies have been reported in association with several of these mutations and reports have also associated Stargardt disease with mutations in RDS. 

There is no treatment for this disorder but low vision aids can be helpful especially in the early stages of the disease.

Isotretinoin has been shown to slow the accumulation of lipofuscin pigments in mice but its role in human Stargardt disease has not been reported. 

This is usually a stationary cone dysfunction disorder in which the causative mechanism has yet to be worked out.  Typical patients have severe visual impairment from birth and some have pendular nystagmus and photophobia similar to other achromatopsia disorders.  Vision seems to be dependent solely on blue cones and rod photoreceptors.  The ERG always shows relatively normal rod function whereas the cones are usually dysfunctional. 

In some families, however, there is evidence of disease progression with macular RPE changes and myopia.  This has lead to the designation of ‘cone dystrophy 5’ for such cases even though the mutation locus impacts the same cone opsin genes at Xq28 that are implicated in BCM.

At least a quarter of individuals with blue cone monochromacy, however, do not have mutations in the vicinity of Xq28 suggesting that additional genetic heterogeneity remains. 

None.

This is an X-linked recessive form of colorblindness in which DNA changes in the vicinity of Xq28 alters the red and green visual pigment cluster genes via recombination or point mutations.  Alternatively, the control locus adjacent to the cluster may be altered.  In either case, the result may be a loss of function of these genes leaving blue-cone monochromacy.

The mutation for cone dystrophy 5 maps to Xq26.1-qter but the locus encompasses the opsin gene complex at Xq28 as well. 

Low vision aids can be helpful.  Tinted lenses for photophobia allow for greater visual comfort.  A magenta (mixture of red and blue) tint allows for best visual acuity since it protects the rods from saturation while allowing the blue cones to be maximally stimulated. 

Poor visual acuity and congenital nystagmus are characteristic of ACHM5 and may be seen in infancy.  Vision loss can be progressive for those who have a milder form of colorblindness or incomplete achromatopsia.  Such patients have a somewhat later onset and may not have nystagmus or photophobia.  Cone responses are usually absent in the ERG whereas rod responses are usually normal but, again, in the incomplete form there may be reduced but measureable cone responses.  There may be some reduction in rod responses with disease progression.  Myopia has been found in some patients.  Atrophy of the RPE in the posterior pole characteristic of progressive cone dystrophies may be seen. 

No systemic abnormalities are found in this disorder. 

This is an autosomal recessive disorder resulting from mutations in the PDE6C gene located at 10q24.  The same gene is responsible for cone dystrophy 4 (613093), an allelic disorder.

Other forms of achromatopsia are ACHM3 caused by mutations in CNGB3 (262300), ACHM2 caused by mutations in CNGA3 (216900), and ACHM4 by mutations in GNAT2 (139340).

There is no treatment for the cone dystrophy but dark glasses and red colored contact lenses are helpful in reducing the photophobia and can improve acuity to some extent.  Low vision aids can also be helpful.