Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) comprises a group of early-onset childhood retinal dystrophies characterized by vision loss, nystagmus, and severe retinal dysfunction. Patients usually present at birth with profound vision loss and pendular nystagmus. Electroretinogram (ERG) responses are usually nonrecordable. Other clinical findings may include high hypermetropia, photodysphoria, oculodigital sign, keratoconus, cataracts, and a variable appearance to the fundus (summary by Chung and Traboulsi, 2009).
Genetic Heterogeneity of Leber Congenital Amaurosis
LCA2 (204100) is caused by mutation in the RPE65 gene (RPE65; 180069) on chromosome 1p31. LCA3 (604232) is caused by mutation in the SPATA7 gene (609868) on chromosome 14q31. LCA4 (604393) is caused by mutation in the AIPL1 gene (604392) on chromosome 17p13. LCA5 (604537) is caused by mutation in the LCA5 gene (611408) on chromosome 6q14. LCA6 (613826) is caused by mutation in the RPGRIP1 gene (605446) on chromosome 14q11. LCA7 (613829) is caused by mutation in the CRX gene (602225) on chromosome 19q13. LCA8 (613835) is caused by mutation in the CRB1 gene (604210) on chromosome 1q31. LCA9 (608553) is caused by mutation in the NMNAT1 gene (608700) on chromosome 1p36. LCA10 (611755) is caused by mutation in the CEP290 gene (610142) on chromosome 12q21 and may account for as many as 21% of cases of LCA. LCA11 (613837) is caused by mutation in the IMPDH1 gene (146690) on chromosome 7q32. LCA12 (610612) is caused by mutation in the RD3 gene (180040) on chromosome 1q32. LCA13 (612712) is caused by mutation in the RDH12 gene (608830) on chromosome 14q24. LCA14 (613341) is caused by mutation in the LRAT gene (604863) on chromosome 4q32. LCA15 (613843) is caused by mutation in the TULP1 gene (602280) on chromosome 6p21. LCA16 (614186) is caused by mutation in the KCNJ13 gene (603208) on chromosome 2q37. LCA17 (615360) is caused by mutation in the GDF6 gene (601147) on chromosome 8q22. LCA18 (see 608133) is caused by mutation in the PRPH2 gene (179605) on chromosome 6p21. LCA19 (618513) is caused by mutation in the USP45 gene (618439) on chromosome 6q16.
Perrault et al. (1999) provided a review of Leber congenital amaurosis, with emphasis on genetic heterogeneity.
Wiszniewski et al. (2011) analyzed 13 known LCA genes in 60 LCA probands, and identified homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in 42 (70%). In addition, a third disease-associated mutant allele at a second locus was identified in 7 (12%) of the 60 patients. Wiszniewski et al. (2011) stated that the significance of the third mutated allele was unknown, but suggested that mutational load might be important to penetrance of the LCA phenotype.
Because LCA manifests very early in life and results in profound vision loss, patients with mutations in other syndromic or nonsyndromic eye disease genes may receive an initial diagnosis of LCA, prior to development of syndromic features or before more thorough phenotyping can be performed (see, e.g., Senior-Loken syndrome-5, 609254). [from OMIM]
