LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Albinism: Eyes
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Albinism is a lifelong condition. Although there is no way to treat poor or absent pigment production or correct early vision development, proper eye evaluation and management can be useful. Eye misalignment can be treated with glasses or surgery. Glasses can be prescribed to improve vision and reduce light sensitivity. Magnifying glasses for reading and low vision aids for distance vision can ... be helpful.
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Albinism is a rare disorder found in fewer than five people per 100,000 in the United States and Europe. Although albinism can affect all races, other parts of the world have a much higher rate; for example, albinism is found in about 20 out of every 100,000 people in southern Nigeria. The parents of most children with albinism have normal hair and eye color for their ethnic background and do not have a family history of albinism.
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People with Albinism nearly always have impaired vision. They are unable to produce melanin and this means their eyes do not develop normally before birth. Extreme long or short sightedness is common.
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Albinism usually results in significant amounts of farsightedness or nearsightedness combined with astigmatism. Most albinism patients require prescription eyewear. Refracting the nystagmus patient requires special techniques to reduce stress and avoid increasing the nystagmus. Every child with albinism should be carefully refracted by the low vision specialist at an early age.
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Albinism always affects vision to some degree. The genes that cause albinism ... cause abnormal development of the nerve connections between the eyes and the brain. The retina and the iris (the colored portion of the eye) are also affected by albinism.
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Albinism can be diagnosed by an experienced ophthalmologist with a simple eye exam. There are confirmatory tests, such as genetic testing, but they are not yet perfected. For more information on genetic testing, contact a qualified genetic counselor. Genetic counselors are generally affiliated with universities and/or children’s hospitals. If a diagnosis is unclear, a special vision test, known as a VEP (Visual Evoked Potential), can be used to rule out a diagnosis of albinism.
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