Blue cone monochromatism

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Blue cone monochromatism

ORPHA:16Disease

Also called Atypical X-linked achromatopsia · Blue cone monochromacy · Color blindness, blue monocone monochromatic type · S cone monochromacy · S cone monochromatism · X-linked incomplete achromatopsia

What it is

Blue cone monochromatism (BCM) is a recessive X-linked disease characterized by severely impaired color discrimination, low visual acuity, nystagmus, and photophobia, due to dysfunction of the red (L) and green (M) cone photoreceptors. BCM is as an incomplete form of achromatopsia.

Key facts

Prevalence
1-9 / 100 000
Age of onset
Infancy
Inheritance
X-linked recessive
Classified as
Disease

Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.

Signs and symptoms

These ranges are how often a sign appears across everyone diagnosed, not a prediction for one person — most people have some of these and not others. Orphanet also records findings that are specifically absent in this disease; those are in the data but not listed here.

Genes

OPN1LWDisease-causing germline mutation(s)
OPN1MWDisease-causing germline mutation(s)

ICD-10 codes

H53.5filed under a broader ICD-10 category — shared with 3 other rare diseases

ICD-10 has no distinct code for most rare diseases, so many are filed under the nearest available one. A shared code identifies the group, not this disease — the ORPHAcode above is what identifies it.

Related health topics

Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.

Cross-references

GARD 917MESH C536238MONDO 0010563OMIM 303700UMLS C0339537

Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999. Data version 2026-06-23. Available under CC BY 4.0. This is a reference, not medical advice.

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