Juvenile cataract in Hutterites

Isolated juvenile or congenital cataract is a rare disorder. It occurs commonly as part of a more generalized or systemic condition or as a component of a syndrome. When encountered per se it may be genetically determined. The inheritance then often is autosomal dominant; autosomal recessive transmission of isolated juvenile cataract is rare. Here we present, four sibships from an extensive kindred including nine individuals affected with juvenile (or congenital) cataracts. The kindred belongs to the Lehrerleut Hutterite group from the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada and the state of Montana in the United States. Apart from the cataracts, all the patients were healthy and of normal growth and development. Specifically, no metabolic disorder could be identified. Intellect, hearing and behavior were all normal and the patients were neurologically intact. Furthermore, there were no other ocular lesions aside from the cataracts. In this kindred cataracts appear to be a recessive trait.