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Living with Lathosterolosis

An extremely rare inherited condition that affects growth, development, the face, limbs, kidneys, and liver.

Understanding Lathosterolosis

Lathosterolosis is an extremely rare inherited condition in which the body has trouble making certain cholesterol-related substances (sterols).

People with lathosterolosis may have differences in facial features and birth differences, including in the limbs and kidneys. They may also have slow growth and weight gain, delayed development, and liver disease. It is noticed in newborns.

Signs & symptoms

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

  • Unusually small head (microcephaly)
  • Clouding of the eye lens (cataract)
  • Drooping upper eyelid (ptosis)
  • Enlarged liver (hepatomegaly)
  • Extra fingers or toes (polydactyly)
  • Calcium deposits in the brain

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 and genetic specialists.

  3. Consider genetic testing

    Changes in SC5D 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
Brain and nervous system specialists (neurologists); 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
Would genetic testing of the SC5D gene help confirm this diagnosis?
How should we monitor my child's liver and kidneys?
Which specialists should we see for growth and development?

Quick facts

Symptoms usually startNewborn
InheritanceAutosomal Recessive
GenesSC5D

Lathosterolosis is caused by changes in the SC5D gene. A child inherits a changed copy of the gene from each parent (autosomal recessive).

GeneticNeurologicalInherited Metabolic

Also known as: sc5d deficiency; sterol c5 desaturase deficiency; sterol c5-desaturase deficiency

Patient organizations

Rare-disease groups that can help

Source: NIH GARD · LathosterolosisGARD ID 9711 · 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 Lathosterolosis.

Explore the Lathosterolosis blog

Explore research for Lathosterolosis

Explore actively recruiting Lathosterolosis studies with HealthSpark.

HealthSpark

Find actively recruiting studies for Lathosterolosis 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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