Fish-eye disease

Fish-eye disease, also called partial LCAT deficiency, is a disorder that causes the clear front surface of the eyes (the corneas) to gradually become cloudy. The cloudiness, which generally first appears in adolescence or early adulthood, consists of small grayish dots of cholesterol (opacities) distributed across the corneas. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is produced in the body and obtained from foods that come from animals; it aids in many functions of the body but can become harmful in excessive amounts. As fish-eye disease progresses, the corneal cloudiness worsens and can lead to severely impaired vision.

Other names

Alpha-LCAT deficiency; Alpha-lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase deficiency; Dyslipoproteinemic corneal dystrophy; FED; LCATA deficiency; Partial LCAT deficiency

Inheritance pattern

Autosomal recessive

Related genes

LCAT

Source: MedlinePlus Genetics, U.S. National Library of Medicine.