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

Horizontal gaze palsy with progressive scoliosis



Other Names:
Progressive external ophthalmoplegia and scoliosis; HGPPS; Gaze palsy, horizontal, with progressive scoliosis ; Progressive external ophthalmoplegia and scoliosis; HGPPS; Gaze palsy, horizontal, with progressive scoliosis ; Gaze Palsy, Familial Horizontal, With Progressive Scoliosis See More
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Horizontal gaze palsy with progressive scoliosis (HGPPS) is a rare disorder that affects vision and also causes an abnormal curvature of the spine (scoliosis). People with this condition are unable to move their eyes side-to-side (horizontally) and must turn their head instead of moving their eyes to track moving objects. Scoliosis develops in infancy or childhood and worsens over time. Scoliosis can be painful and may interfere with movement so it is often treated with surgery early in life. HGPPS is caused by changes (mutations) in the ROBO3 gene and is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Treatment is based on the signs and symptoms present in each person.[1]
Last updated: 10/27/2015

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
Horizontal supranuclear gaze palsy 0007817
Kyphosis
Hunched back
Round back
[ more ]
0002808
Scoliosis 0002650
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Cognitive impairment
Abnormality of cognition
Cognitive abnormality
Cognitive defects
Cognitive deficits
Intellectual impairment
Mental impairment
[ more ]
0100543
Nystagmus
Involuntary, rapid, rhythmic eye movements
0000639
Short neck
Decreased length of neck
0000470
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Seizure 0001250
Sensorineural hearing impairment 0000407
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Cerebellar hypoplasia
Small cerebellum
Underdeveloped cerebellum
[ more ]
0001321
Congenital onset
Symptoms present at birth
0003577
Hypoplasia of the pons 0012110
Progressive ophthalmoplegia 0007650
Thoracolumbar scoliosis 0002944
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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


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 Horizontal gaze palsy with progressive scoliosis. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.

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. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.

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. Horizontal gaze palsy with progressive scoliosis. Genetics Home Reference. March, 2009; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/horizontal-gaze-palsy-with-progressive-scoliosis. Accessed 7/13/2015.