Rare diseases · Sign or symptom
Telecanthus
Corners of eye widely separated
HP:0000506
What it means
Distance between the inner canthi more than two standard deviations above the mean (objective); or, apparently increased distance between the inner canthi.
Dystopia canthorum (also called telecanthus) describes a subtle but unusual facial feature in which the inner corners of the eyes (canthi) are spaced farther apart than normal, yet the eyes (pupils) themselves are not necessarily widely spaced.
Rare diseases that can present with this121
Very common80–99%
48- 15q overgrowth syndrome
- 22q11.2deletion syndrome
- 2p15p16.1microdeletion syndrome
- 8q22.1microdeletion syndrome
- Acrocraniofacial dysostosis
- Acromelic frontonasal dysplasia
- Alar cartilages hypoplasia-coloboma-telecanthus syndrome
- Aniridia-renal agenesis-psychomotor retardation syndrome
- Autosomal recessive faciodigitogenital syndrome
- Baraitser-Winter cerebrofrontofacial syndrome
- Barber-Say syndrome
- Blepharonasofacial malformation syndrome
- Blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome plus
- Blomstrand lethal chondrodysplasia
- Brachytelephalangy-dysmorphism-Kallmann syndrome
- Branchioskeletogenital syndrome
- Camptodactyly syndrome, Guadalajara type 1
- Chondrodysplasia-difference of sex development syndrome
- Cleft palate-stapes fixation-oligodontia syndrome
- Cystic fibrosis-gastritis-megaloblastic anemia syndrome
- Dahlberg-Borer-Newcomer syndrome
- Deafness-intellectual disability syndrome, Martin-Probst type
- Distal deletion 3p syndrome
- Dubowitz syndrome
- Dysmorphism-pectus carinatum-joint laxity syndrome
- Endocardial fibroelastosis
- Facial dysmorphism-shawl scrotum-joint laxity syndrome
- Fetal alcohol syndrome
- Flat face-microstomia-ear anomaly syndrome
- Frontofacionasal dysplasia
- Frontonasal dysplasia-alopecia-genital anomalies syndrome
- Hartsfield syndrome
- Linear nevus sebaceus syndrome
- Mesomelia-synostoses syndrome
- Nasopalpebral lipoma-coloboma syndrome
- Peripheral demyelinating neuropathy-central dysmyelinating leukodystrophy-Waardenburg syndrome-Hirschsprung disease
- Ptosis-upper ocular movement limitation-absence of lacrimal punctum syndrome
- Restrictive dermopathy
- Ring chromosome 1 syndrome
- Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome
- Severe microbrachycephaly-intellectual disability-athetoid cerebral palsy syndrome
- Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome
- Stickler syndrome
- Toriello-Carey syndrome
- Trisomy 18p syndrome
- Waardenburg syndrome type 1
- W syndrome
- X-linked intellectual disability-hypogonadism-ichthyosis-obesity-short stature syndrome
Common30–79%
32- 19p13.3microduplication syndrome
- 1q44microdeletion syndrome
- 3MC syndrome
- 8q12microduplication syndrome
- 9q33.3q34.11microdeletion syndrome
- Acrodysostosis
- Autosomal recessive frontotemporal pachygyria
- Autosomal recessive multiple pterygium syndrome
- B4GALT7-related spondylodysplastic Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
- Bencze syndrome
- Camptodactyly syndrome, Guadalajara type 3
- Craniometaphyseal dysplasia
- Cryptomicrotia-brachydactyly-excess fingertip arch syndrome
- Distal triplication 15q syndrome
- Early-onset epileptic encephalopathy-cortical blindness-intellectual disability-facial dysmorphism syndrome
- Gómez-López-Hernández syndrome
- Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome
- Hajdu-Cheney syndrome
- Hallermann-Streiff syndrome
- Hypoglossia-hypodactyly syndrome
- Jung syndrome
- KBG syndrome
- LIG4 syndrome
- Mandibulofacial dysostosis-microcephaly syndrome
- Megalencephaly-polymicrogyria-postaxial polydactyly-hydrocephalus syndrome
- MEND syndrome
- Menke-Hennekam syndrome
- Mowat-Wilson syndrome
- Mowat-Wilson syndrome due to a ZEB2 point mutation
- Mowat-Wilson syndrome due to monosomy 2q22
- Oculocerebrofacial syndrome, Kaufman type
- Oculoectodermal syndrome
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: Dystopia canthorum · Increased distance between medial canthi · Increased inner canthal distance · Increased intercanthal distance
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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.