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

Oculocutaneous albinism type 1



Other Names:
OCA1; Oculocutaneous albinism type 1A; OCA1A; OCA1; Oculocutaneous albinism type 1A; OCA1A; Oculocutaneous albinism, tyrosinase negative; ATN; Albinism 1 See More
Categories:

Oculocutaneous albinism type 1 is a condition that affects the coloring of the skin, hair, and eyes. Signs and symptoms include very fair skin, white hair, an increased risk for skin damage with sun exposure, reduced vision (sharpness), light colored irises, nystagmus, and photophobia (eyes are sensitive to light). It is caused by changes in the TYR gene and is inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion.[1]
Last updated: 11/7/2011

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.

Showing of 29 |
Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal morphology of the choroidal vasculature 0025568
Abnormality of visual evoked potentials 0000649
Blue irides
Blue eyes
0000635
Cutaneous photosensitivity
Photosensitive skin
Photosensitive skin rashes
Photosensitivity
Sensitivity to sunlight
Skin photosensitivity
Sun sensitivity
[ more ]
0000992
Depigmented fundus 0007680
Generalized hypopigmentation
Fair skin
Pale pigmentation
[ more ]
0007513
Generalized hypopigmentation of hair 0011358
Hypoplasia of the fovea 0007750
Iris hypopigmentation
Light eye color
0007730
Iris transillumination defect 0012805
Nystagmus
Involuntary, rapid, rhythmic eye movements
0000639
Optic nerve misrouting 0025551
Photophobia
Extreme sensitivity of the eyes to light
Light hypersensitivity
[ more ]
0000613
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Amblyopia
Lazy eye
Wandering eye
[ more ]
0000646
Strabismus
Cross-eyed
Squint
Squint eyes
[ more ]
0000486
White eyebrow
Pale eyebrow
0002226
White eyelashes
Blonde eyelashes
Pale eyelashes
[ more ]
0002227
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Thickened skin
Thick skin
0001072
1%-4% of people have these symptoms
Actinic keratosis 0025127
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Absent skin pigmentation
Lack of skin coloration
0200098
Albinism 0001022
Astigmatism
Abnormal curving of the cornea or lens of the eye
0000483
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Congenital onset
Symptoms present at birth
0003577
Exotropia
Outward facing eye ball
0000577
Myopia
Close sighted
Near sighted
Near sightedness
Nearsightedness
[ more ]
0000545
Ocular albinism
Absent pigmentation in the eye
0001107
Reduced visual acuity
Decreased clarity of vision
0007663
White hair 0011364
Showing of 29 |
Last updated: 7/1/2020

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


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


Living with a genetic or rare disease can impact the daily lives of patients and families. These resources can help families navigate various aspects of living with a rare disease.

Community Resources

  • The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) has information on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues related to this condition. JAN is a service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy in the U.S. Department of Labor.

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 Oculocutaneous albinism type 1. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.

In-Depth Information

  • GeneReviews provides current, expert-authored, peer-reviewed, full-text articles describing the application of genetic testing to the diagnosis, management, and genetic counseling of patients with specific inherited conditions.
  • 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. 
  • 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 Oculocutaneous albinism type 1. 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. Oculocutaneous albinism. Genetics Home Reference. March 2007; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/oculocutaneous-albinism. Accessed 10/15/2012.