National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Isolated ectopia lentis



Other Names:
Ectopia lentis syndrome; Familial ectopia lentis
Categories:
Subtypes:

Isolated ectopia lentis (IEL) is a genetic disorder that affects the positioning of the lens in the eyes. In individuals with IEL, the lens in one or both of the eyes is off-center. Symptoms of IOL usually present in childhood and may include vision problems such as nearsightedness (myopia), blurred vision (astigmatism), clouding of the lenses (cataracts), and increased pressure in the eyes (glaucoma). In some individuals, IEL can progress to retinal detachment (tearing of the back lining of the eye). IEL is caused by mutations in either the FBN1 or ADAMTSL4 gene. When caused by a mutation in the FBN1 gene, IEL is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. When caused by a mutation in the ADAMTSL4 gene, IEL is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.[1][2] The primary goal of treatment is preventing amblyopia (lazy eye) through early correction of astigmatism. Surgical intervention including lensectomy (removal of the lens) may be considered in cases where vision is significantly affected.[2][3]
Last updated: 4/12/2016

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Joint stiffness
Stiff joint
Stiff joints
[ more ]
0001387
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Cognitive impairment
Abnormality of cognition
Cognitive abnormality
Cognitive defects
Cognitive deficits
Intellectual impairment
Mental impairment
[ more ]
0100543
Malar flattening
Zygomatic flattening
0000272
Mandibular prognathia
Big lower jaw
Increased projection of lower jaw
Increased size of lower jaw
Large lower jaw
Prominent chin
Prominent lower jaw
[ more ]
0000303
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Amblyopia
Lazy eye
Wandering eye
[ more ]
0000646
Cataract
Clouding of the lens of the eye
Cloudy lens
[ more ]
0000518
Ectopia pupillae
Displaced pupil
0009918
Hypertension 0000822
Nystagmus
Involuntary, rapid, rhythmic eye movements
0000639
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Ectopia lentis 0001083
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

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.

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics 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.

Healthcare Resources


Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
Patients with IEL by definition do not have associated systemic abnormalities, although cardiac and skeletal examinations should be performed to help exclude Marfan syndrome (diagnosed according to the Ghent criteria) (see this term). Ectopia lentis is also a feature of homocystinuria, sulfite oxidase deficiency, Weill-Marchesani syndrome, aniridia, and Knobloch syndrome (see these terms), as well as pseudoexfoliation.
Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Isolated ectopia lentis. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease


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.

Where to Start

  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Isolated ectopia lentis. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.
  • The National Marfan Foundation offers an information page on Isolated ectopia lentis. Please click on the link to access this resource.

In-Depth Information

  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
    Isolated ectopia lentis type 1
    Isolated ectopia lentis type 2
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Isolated ectopia lentis. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.


  1. isolated ectopia lentis. Genetics Home Reference. March 2015; https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/isolated-ectopia-lentis.
  2. Aman Chandra. Isolated ectopia lentis. Orphanet. July 2013; http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?lng=en&Expert=1885.
  3. Charles Eifrig. Ectopia Lentis. Medscape. Mar 10, 2015; http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1211159-overview.