Applied genetics for the practicing optometrist

A good preventive blindness program includes a strong program in genetic counseling. Optometrists can be of substantial assistance to a genetic counseling program by: 1) being informed of the various types of inherited ocular disorders, and their modes of transmission. 2) becoming aware of the presence of disorders in other members of the patient's family, and 3) encouraging the affected family members to seek genetic counseling prior to conception. This article is designed to serve as a guide for familiarizing the practicing O.D. with the various types of inheritance patterns, specific disorders which follow these inheritance patterns, and some of the ocular and systemic characteristics of the disorders. Only those anomalies of structure and/or function which have an identifiable (and therefore a predictable) genetic mode of transmission will be discussed. This article is intended to serve as a brief and general review of some of the more common ocular disorders, and not as a comprehensive text on the genetics of ophthalmic diseases. Emphasis is placed on the optometric management of each disease discussed.