Definition

Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) is a group of autosomal recessive-inherited eye disorders which lead to blindness at birth or within the first few years of life. Other manifestations of the disease may include hearing loss, mental retardation, and decreased physical coordination.

Description

Vision is an important and complex sense by which the qualities of an object, such as color, shape, and size, are perceived through the detection of light. For proper vision, a critical series of biological steps must occur; if any of the steps in the process is abnormal, visual impairment or blindness may occur.

The process of vision begins with light that bounces off an object and passes through the outer coverings and lens of the eye and projects onto a layer of cells at the back of...