Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

A hereditary optic neuropathy is caused by a genetic variant (or mutation)that causes dysfunction of the neurons (nerve cells) which form the optic nerve. The optic nerve sends information from the back of the eye to the vision center in the brain.The two most common types of hereditary optic neuropathies are dominant optic atrophy (DOA) and Leber hereditary optic neuropathy(LHON).