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Leber optic atrophy(LHON)

MedGen UID:
182973
Concept ID:
C0917796
Disease or Syndrome
Synonyms: Leber hereditary optic neuropathy; Leber's disease; Leber's optic atrophy; LHON; Optic Atrophy, Hereditary, Leber
SNOMED CT: Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (58610003); LHON - Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (58610003); LHON - Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (58610003); Leber optic atrophy (58610003); Leber's optic atrophy (58610003)
Modes of inheritance:
Mitochondrial inheritance
MedGen UID:
165802
Concept ID:
C0887941
Genetic Function
Source: Orphanet
A mode of inheritance that is observed for traits related to a gene encoded on the mitochondrial genome. Because the mitochondrial genome is essentially always maternally inherited, a mitochondrial condition can only be transmitted by females, although the condition can affect both sexes. The proportion of mutant mitochondria can vary (heteroplasmy).
 
Genes (locations): MT-ATP6; MT-CO3; MT-CYB; MT-ND1; MT-ND2; MT-ND4; MT-ND4L; MT-ND5; MT-ND6
 
HPO: HP:0001112
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0010788
OMIM®: 535000
Orphanet: ORPHA104

Definition

Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) typically presents in young adults as bilateral, painless, subacute visual failure. The peak age of onset in LHON is in the second and third decades of life, with 90% of those who lose their vision doing so before age 50 years. Very rarely, individuals first manifest LHON in the seventh and eighth decades of life. Males are four to five times more likely to be affected than females, but neither sex nor mutational status significantly influences the timing and severity of the initial visual loss. Neurologic abnormalities such as postural tremor, peripheral neuropathy, nonspecific myopathy, and movement disorders have been reported to be more common in individuals with LHON than in the general population. Some individuals with LHON, usually women, may also develop a multiple sclerosis-like illness. [from GeneReviews]

Additional descriptions

From OMIM
LHON presents in midlife as acute or subacute central vision loss leading to central scotoma and blindness. The disease has been associated with many missense mutations in the mtDNA that can act autonomously or in association with each other to cause the disease. The 18 allelic variants are MTND6*LDYT14459A (516006.0002); MTND4*LHON11778A (516003.0001); MTND1*LHON3460A (516000.0001); MTND6*LHON14484C (516006.0001); MTCYB*LHON15257A (516020.0001); MTCO3*LHON9438A (516050.0001); MTCO3*LHON9804A (516050.0002 ); MTND5*LHON13730A (516005.0002); MTND1*LHON4160C (516000.0002); MTND2*LHON5244A (516001.0002); MTCOI*LHON7444A (516030.0001); MTND1*LHON3394C (516000.0004); MTND5*LHON13708A (516005.0001); MTCYB*LHON15812A (516020.0002); MTND2*LHON4917G (516001.0001); MTND1*LHON4216C (516000.0003); MTND1*LHON4136G (516000.0002); MTATP6*LHON9101C (516060.0003); MTND4L*LHON10663C (516004.0002). The first 17 of these variants are summarized in Table M1, MIM12. As pointed out by Riordan-Eva and Harding (1995), although the plethora of mtDNA mutations identified in families with LHON had resulted in confusion as to the pathogenic significance of each mutation, it had been established that the 3 primary mutations at basepairs 11778 (516003.0001), 3460 (516000.0001), and 14484 (516006.0001) are present in at least 90% of families. The correlation between the 14484 mutation and a good visual prognosis provides not only hope for affected patients, but also an approach for further research into the pathogenesis of LHON. Yu-Wai-Man et al. (2009) provided a detailed review of LHON and autosomal dominant optic atrophy (OPA1; 165500), with emphasis on the selective vulnerability of retinal ganglion cells to mitochondrial dysfunction in both disorders.  http://www.omim.org/entry/535000
From MedlinePlus Genetics
Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is an inherited form of vision loss. Although this condition usually begins in a person's teens or twenties, rare cases may appear in early childhood or later in adulthood. For unknown reasons, males are affected much more often than females.

Blurring and clouding of vision are usually the first symptoms of LHON. These vision problems may begin in one eye or simultaneously in both eyes; if vision loss starts in one eye, the other eye is usually affected within several weeks or months. Over time, vision in both eyes worsens with a severe loss of sharpness (visual acuity) and color vision. This condition mainly affects central vision, which is needed for detailed tasks such as reading, driving, and recognizing faces. Vision loss results from the death of cells in the nerve that relays visual information from the eyes to the brain (the optic nerve). Although central vision gradually improves in a small percentage of cases, in most cases the vision loss is profound and permanent.

Vision loss is typically the only symptom of LHON; however, some families with additional signs and symptoms have been reported. In these individuals, the condition is described as "LHON plus." In addition to vision loss, the features of LHON plus can include movement disorders, tremors, and abnormalities of the electrical signals that control the heartbeat (cardiac conduction defects). Some affected individuals develop features similar to multiple sclerosis, which is a chronic disorder characterized by muscle weakness, poor coordination, numbness, and a variety of other health problems.  https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/leber-hereditary-optic-neuropathy

Clinical features

From HPO
Cardiac arrhythmia
MedGen UID:
2039
Concept ID:
C0003811
Finding
Any cardiac rhythm other than the normal sinus rhythm. Such a rhythm may be either of sinus or ectopic origin and either regular or irregular. An arrhythmia may be due to a disturbance in impulse formation or conduction or both.
Cerebellar ataxia
MedGen UID:
849
Concept ID:
C0007758
Disease or Syndrome
Cerebellar ataxia refers to ataxia due to dysfunction of the cerebellum. This causes a variety of elementary neurological deficits including asynergy (lack of coordination between muscles, limbs and joints), dysmetria (lack of ability to judge distances that can lead to under- or overshoot in grasping movements), and dysdiadochokinesia (inability to perform rapid movements requiring antagonizing muscle groups to be switched on and off repeatedly).
Dystonic disorder
MedGen UID:
3940
Concept ID:
C0013421
Sign or Symptom
An abnormally increased muscular tone that causes fixed abnormal postures. There is a slow, intermittent twisting motion that leads to exaggerated turning and posture of the extremities and trunk.
Polyneuropathy
MedGen UID:
57502
Concept ID:
C0152025
Disease or Syndrome
A generalized disorder of peripheral nerves.
Postural tremor
MedGen UID:
66696
Concept ID:
C0234378
Sign or Symptom
A type of tremors that is triggered by holding a limb in a fixed position.
Myopathy
MedGen UID:
10135
Concept ID:
C0026848
Disease or Syndrome
A disorder of muscle unrelated to impairment of innervation or neuromuscular junction.
Optic atrophy
MedGen UID:
18180
Concept ID:
C0029124
Disease or Syndrome
Atrophy of the optic nerve. Optic atrophy results from the death of the retinal ganglion cell axons that comprise the optic nerve and manifesting as a pale optic nerve on fundoscopy.
Centrocecal scotoma
MedGen UID:
82870
Concept ID:
C0271196
Finding
A scotoma (area of diminished vision within the visual field) located between the central point of fixation and the blind spot with a roughly horizontal oval shape.
Leber optic atrophy
MedGen UID:
182973
Concept ID:
C0917796
Disease or Syndrome
Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) typically presents in young adults as bilateral, painless, subacute visual failure. The peak age of onset in LHON is in the second and third decades of life, with 90% of those who lose their vision doing so before age 50 years. Very rarely, individuals first manifest LHON in the seventh and eighth decades of life. Males are four to five times more likely to be affected than females, but neither sex nor mutational status significantly influences the timing and severity of the initial visual loss. Neurologic abnormalities such as postural tremor, peripheral neuropathy, nonspecific myopathy, and movement disorders have been reported to be more common in individuals with LHON than in the general population. Some individuals with LHON, usually women, may also develop a multiple sclerosis-like illness.
Visual loss
MedGen UID:
784038
Concept ID:
C3665386
Finding
Loss of visual acuity (implying that vision was better at a certain time point in life). Otherwise the term reduced visual acuity should be used (or a subclass of that).
Optic neuropathy
MedGen UID:
854546
Concept ID:
C3887709
Disease or Syndrome
Disorder of the optic nerve.
Central retinal vessel vascular tortuosity
MedGen UID:
867211
Concept ID:
C4021569
Finding
The presence of an increased number of twists and turns of retinal blood vessels (arteries, arterioles, veins, venules).

Term Hierarchy

Conditions with this feature

Leber optic atrophy
MedGen UID:
182973
Concept ID:
C0917796
Disease or Syndrome
Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) typically presents in young adults as bilateral, painless, subacute visual failure. The peak age of onset in LHON is in the second and third decades of life, with 90% of those who lose their vision doing so before age 50 years. Very rarely, individuals first manifest LHON in the seventh and eighth decades of life. Males are four to five times more likely to be affected than females, but neither sex nor mutational status significantly influences the timing and severity of the initial visual loss. Neurologic abnormalities such as postural tremor, peripheral neuropathy, nonspecific myopathy, and movement disorders have been reported to be more common in individuals with LHON than in the general population. Some individuals with LHON, usually women, may also develop a multiple sclerosis-like illness.
Leber optic atrophy and dystonia
MedGen UID:
333240
Concept ID:
C1839040
Disease or Syndrome
Leber optic atrophy, susceptibility to
MedGen UID:
374333
Concept ID:
C1839891
Finding
Leber optic atrophy, also known as Leber hereditary optic atrophy (LHON; 535000), is characterized by bilateral, painless, subacute central vision loss in young adults resulting from primary degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) accompanied by ascending optic atrophy (summary by Yu et al., 2020). Variation in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) contributes to the pathogenesis of the disease. Modifier of Leber optic atrophy (LOAM) exhibits increased penetrance and earlier age of onset compared to Leber optic atrophy caused by the LHON11778A mutation in the MTND4 gene (516003.0001) alone, due to the action of mutation in PRICKLE3 as a modifier of expression of the disease. For a general description and discussion of genetic heterogeneity of Leber optic atrophy, see 535000.

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Chen BS, Yu-Wai-Man P, Newman NJ
Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2022 Dec;22(12):881-892. Epub 2022 Nov 21 doi: 10.1007/s11910-022-01246-y. PMID: 36414808Free PMC Article
Jurkute N, Harvey J, Yu-Wai-Man P
Curr Opin Neurol 2019 Feb;32(1):99-104. doi: 10.1097/WCO.0000000000000646. PMID: 30516647
Verma IC, Paliwal P, Singh K
Indian J Pediatr 2018 Mar;85(3):228-236. Epub 2017 Oct 2 doi: 10.1007/s12098-017-2453-7. PMID: 28971364

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Zibold J, von Livonius B, Kolarova H, Rudolph G, Priglinger CS, Klopstock T, Catarino CB
Orphanet J Rare Dis 2022 Aug 9;17(1):310. doi: 10.1186/s13023-022-02453-z. PMID: 35945620Free PMC Article
Kulkarni R, Reither A, Thomas RA, Tucker JD
Mutat Res 2009 Apr 26;663(1-2):46-51. Epub 2009 Feb 4 doi: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2009.01.004. PMID: 19428369

Diagnosis

Zibold J, von Livonius B, Kolarova H, Rudolph G, Priglinger CS, Klopstock T, Catarino CB
Orphanet J Rare Dis 2022 Aug 9;17(1):310. doi: 10.1186/s13023-022-02453-z. PMID: 35945620Free PMC Article
Kulkarni R, Reither A, Thomas RA, Tucker JD
Mutat Res 2009 Apr 26;663(1-2):46-51. Epub 2009 Feb 4 doi: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2009.01.004. PMID: 19428369
McLeod JG, Low PA, Morgan JA
Neurology 1978 Feb;28(2):179-84. doi: 10.1212/wnl.28.2.179. PMID: 563998

Prognosis

Zibold J, von Livonius B, Kolarova H, Rudolph G, Priglinger CS, Klopstock T, Catarino CB
Orphanet J Rare Dis 2022 Aug 9;17(1):310. doi: 10.1186/s13023-022-02453-z. PMID: 35945620Free PMC Article

Clinical prediction guides

Zibold J, von Livonius B, Kolarova H, Rudolph G, Priglinger CS, Klopstock T, Catarino CB
Orphanet J Rare Dis 2022 Aug 9;17(1):310. doi: 10.1186/s13023-022-02453-z. PMID: 35945620Free PMC Article
Kulkarni R, Reither A, Thomas RA, Tucker JD
Mutat Res 2009 Apr 26;663(1-2):46-51. Epub 2009 Feb 4 doi: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2009.01.004. PMID: 19428369

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