Autosomal dominant optic atrophy and cataract

The following summary is from Orphanet, a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs.

A form of autosomal dominant optic atrophy characterized by an early and bilateral optic atrophy leading to insidious visual loss of variable severity, followed by a late anterior and/or posterior cortical cataract. Additional features include sensorineural hearing loss and neurological signs such as tremor, extrapyramidal rigidity and absence of deep tendon reflexes. It is caused by mutations in the OPA3 gene (19q13.32).

Visit the Orphanet disease page for more resources.

Last updated: 2/1/2016

Making a diagnosis for a genetic or rare disease can often be challenging. Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.