Kearns-Sayre syndrome

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Kearns-Sayre syndrome

ORPHA:480Disease

What it is

A rare inborn error of metabolism that is characterized by progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO), pigmentary retinitis and an onset before the age of 20 years. Common additional features include deafness, cerebellar ataxia and heart block.

Key facts

Prevalence
1-9 / 100 000 (Europe)
Age of onset
Adolescent, Adult, Childhood, Infancy
Inheritance
Autosomal recessive, Mitochondrial inheritance, Not applicable
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

RRM2BDisease-causing germline mutation(s)
MT-ATP8Candidate gene tested
MT-TL1Candidate gene tested

ICD-10 codes

H49.8filed under a broader ICD-10 category — shared with 2 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 6817MEDDRA 10048804MESH D007625MONDO 0010787OMIM 530000UMLS C0022541

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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