Living with Fish-eye disease
A rare condition in which the clear front of the eye (cornea) slowly becomes cloudy with small cholesterol deposits.
Understanding Fish-eye disease
The cloudiness is made of small grayish dots of cholesterol. It usually first appears in the teen years or early adulthood. As it progresses, the cloudiness can get worse and severely affect vision.
Signs & symptoms
GARD lists this among the most common findings:
- Cloudy corneas (corneal opacity)
- Small gray cholesterol dots in the cornea
- Vision loss in advanced cases
Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
Diagnosis
- 1Talk with your doctor
Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.
- 2See a specialist
Specialists who may be involved include eye disease specialists, genetic specialists, hormone specialists and kidney specialists.
- 3Consider genetic testing
Changes in LCAT are linked to this condition. Genetic testing and counseling can help confirm a diagnosis and explain what it means for your family.
Care & treatment
- Care team
- Eye disease specialists (ophthalmologists); Genetic specialists (geneticists); Hormone specialists (endocrinologists); Kidney specialists (nephrologists)
- 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 National Kidney Foundation and other patient organizations
- 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
Quick facts
Changes in the LCAT gene cause it. It is autosomal recessive, which means a child inherits a changed copy of the gene from each parent.
Also known as: alpha-lcat deficiency; dyslipoproteinemic corneal dystrophy; fed; fed - fish-eye disease; fish eye disease; lcata deficiency
Patient organizations
- National Kidney FoundationKidney diseases · United States
- Renal Support NetworkKidney diseases · United States
You are more than your diagnosis
Perspectives from people navigating life with Fish-eye disease.
Explore research for Fish-eye disease
Explore actively recruiting Fish-eye disease studies with HealthSpark.
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- Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
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- 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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