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Living with Acrootoocular syndrome

A very rare condition with swelling at the optic disc, hearing loss, facial differences, and hand and foot differences.

Understanding Acrootoocular syndrome

Acrootoocular syndrome is a very rare disorder that combines optic disc swelling, hearing loss, and facial and limb differences.

It includes pseudopapilledema, swelling of the optic disc that is not due to pressure in the head. It also has mixed hearing loss, distinct facial features, and differences in the hands and feet. GARD lists onset as the newborn and infant period.

Signs & symptoms

Symptoms vary from person to person. GARD lists these among the most common:

  • Hearing loss (conductive)
  • Small head size (microcephaly)
  • Missing ear canal
  • Webbed fingers or toes
  • Not gaining weight as expected
  • Delayed bone maturation

Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.

Diagnosis

  1. Talk with your doctor

    Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.

  2. See a specialist

    Specialists who may be involved include eye disease specialists and genetic specialists.

  3. Ask which tests can help

    Your care team will decide which exams and tests can confirm the diagnosis.

Care & treatment

Care team
Eye disease specialists (ophthalmologists); Genetic specialists (geneticists)
Expert care
Ask about multidisciplinary care centers for rare conditions
Treatment
GARD doesn't list specific treatments for this condition. Your care team will tailor care to your symptoms.
Research
Clinical trials and observational studies may be options. See the research section below.

General information, not medical advice. Your care team makes the decisions.

Everyday life

Living with a rare condition is easier with support.

  • Connect with rare disease patient organizations for support
  • Keep notes on symptoms, changes and questions for appointments
  • Ask about patient registries that help research
  • Look into financial aid and travel resources for care visits
Bring these questions to your next doctor visit
Should my child have hearing and eye exams?
What does the optic disc swelling mean for vision?
What does genetic counseling say about future pregnancies?

Quick facts

Symptoms usually startNewborn and as an Infant
InheritanceAutosomal Recessive

GARD says changes in genes (also called variants) cause this condition. It is autosomal recessive, so a child inherits a changed copy of the gene from each parent.

Genetic

Also known as: acro-oto-ocular syndrome; aoo syndrome; pseudopapilledema-blepharophimosis-hand anomalies syndrome; pseudopapilledema, blepharophimosis and hand anomaly syndrome; pseudopapilledema, ocular hypotelorism, blepharophimosis, and hand anomalies; pseudopapilloedema, blepharophimosis and hand anomaly syndrome

Patient organizations

Rare-disease groups that can help

Source: NIH GARD · Acrootoocular syndromeGARD ID 4559 · GARD page updated September 2026 · Plain-language summary by Know Rare; editorial review pending. General information, not medical advice.

You are more than your diagnosis

Perspectives from people navigating life with Acrootoocular syndrome.

Explore the Acrootoocular syndrome blog

Explore research for Acrootoocular syndrome

Explore actively recruiting Acrootoocular syndrome studies with HealthSpark.

HealthSpark

Find actively recruiting studies for Acrootoocular syndrome with HealthSpark. Share your city to explore research near you.

  • Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
  • Share your city to look for research near you
  • Eligibility is confirmed by the study team

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Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper · Study information from ClinicalTrials.gov · Eligibility is confirmed by the study team.

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