Rare diseases · Sign or symptom
Absent Bell phenomenon
HP:6000709
What it means
The Bell phenomenon is the reflex upward movement of the front of the eyeball when the eyelids close (or blink). It protects the eye by helping to keep the cornea moist. This term refers to a lack of this phenomenon, which can be observed with certain conditions such as congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles.
Rare diseases that can present with this1
The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.
Part of the broader category
Also called: Absent palpebral-oculogyric reflex
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Start free with EleplanThis page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.