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Living with Joubert syndrome with oculorenal defect

A rare form of Joubert syndrome that combines the brain features with both eye and kidney disease.

Understanding Joubert syndrome with oculorenal defect

Joubert syndrome with oculorenal defect is a rare form of Joubert syndrome that includes both eye disease and kidney disease.

People have the neurological features of Joubert syndrome, plus disease in the retina (the back of the eye) and the kidneys. It is noticed in newborns and infants. GARD lists blindness and eye gaps (colobomas) among the common features.

Signs & symptoms

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

  • Retinal dystrophy
  • Blindness
  • Gaps in the eye structures (coloboma)
  • Low muscle tone
  • Balance and coordination problems (ataxia)
  • Developmental delay and intellectual disability

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 brain and nervous system specialists, eye disease specialists, genetic specialists and kidney specialists.

  3. Ask which tests can help

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

  4. Connect with expert centers

    National Ataxia Foundation may keep lists of experts for this condition.

Care & treatment

Care team
Brain and nervous system specialists (neurologists); Eye disease specialists (ophthalmologists); Genetic specialists (geneticists); Kidney specialists (nephrologists)
Expert care
Expert lists: National Ataxia Foundation
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 Joubert Syndrome & Related Disorders 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
Bring these questions to your next doctor visit
How should we monitor my child's kidneys, and how often?
How often should my child's eyes be checked?
Can genetic testing find the gene change in our family?

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, meaning a child inherits a changed copy of the gene from each parent.

GeneticNeurologicalKidney

Also known as: arima syndrome; cerebello-oculo-renal syndrome; cerebellooculorenal syndrome; cors; dekaban-arima syndrome; joubert syndrome with bilateral chorioretinal coloboma

Patient organizations

Source: NIH GARD · Joubert syndrome with oculorenal defectGARD ID 9455 · 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 Joubert syndrome with oculorenal defect.

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