What about ear and eye damage - is this serious?

Men with Alport’s syndrome, and women who have evidence of marked kidney involvement, should have ear and eye tests.

The ear contains type 4 collagen and is affected by Alport’s syndrome. Men are affected more than women. Men may develop bilateral partial deafness, especially for high tones, and may require a hearing aid by the time they are in their late teens. However, this is not universal in Alport’s. Kidney failure may make the deafness worse, with some improvement after a kidney transplant. Women may have some hearing loss that could be detected by special tests done in hospital, but this does not often cause problems with normal conversation.

The medical term for the most common problem in the eye is ‘bilateral anterior lenticonus’ This means that, in both eyes, the front surface of the lens, the part of the eye over the pupil, bulges forwards. This change may be slight, and not visible to the naked eye. It may cause short sightedness, and it may be necessary to wear glasses. There may also be some dots and flecks on the back of the eye, but these are only visible to an eye specialist and should not affect vision.

NKF Controlled Document No. 49, What about ear and eye damage - is this serious?, written 2 September 2002. Last reviewed 29 November 2010.

The National Kidney Federation cannot accept responsibility for information provided. The above is for guidance only. Patients are advised to seek further information from their own doctor.

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