Leber hereditary optic neuropathy

Caring for someone with this diagnosis? Eleplan keeps diagnoses, medications, documents and every specialist in one plan.

Start free with Eleplan

Leber hereditary optic neuropathy

ORPHA:104Disease

Also called LHON · Leber optic atrophy

What it is

A rare hereditary optic neuropathy characterized by sudden onset, painless central vision loss, loss of retinal ganglion cells and optic atrophy.

Key facts

Prevalence
1-9 / 100 000
Age of onset
Adolescent, Adult
Inheritance
Mitochondrial inheritance
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

DNAJC30Disease-causing germline mutation(s) (loss of function)
MT-ATP6Disease-causing germline mutation(s)
MT-CO3Disease-causing germline mutation(s)
MT-CYBDisease-causing germline mutation(s)
MT-ND1Disease-causing germline mutation(s)
MT-ND2Disease-causing germline mutation(s)
MT-ND4Disease-causing germline mutation(s)
MT-ND4LDisease-causing germline mutation(s)
MT-ND5Disease-causing germline mutation(s)
MT-ND6Disease-causing germline mutation(s)
NDUFS2Disease-causing germline mutation(s)
MT-CO1Candidate gene tested

ICD-10 codes

H47.2filed under a broader ICD-10 category — shared with 10 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 6870MESH D029242MONDO 0010788OMIM 308905OMIM 535000OMIM 619382OMIM 620569UMLS C0917796

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.

Powered by Eleplan

A rare diagnosis is just the start. Eleplan keeps the whole care plan in one place.

Diagnoses, medications, documents, appointments, and the whole care team — organized and always in sync, so you are not retelling the same story to every new specialist. With Ellie, your AI care assistant, on top of it. Free to start.