Albinism

Alternative names:

piebaldism

Symptoms:

• absence of pigment from the hair, skin, or iris of eyes
• patchy absence of pigment (skin color, patchy)
• colorless white skin and hair, complete albinism

Most forms of complete albinism have some of the following symptoms:

• red reflex in the eye (as might be seen in flash pictures of unaffected people)
• rapid eye movements (nystagmus)
• photophobia (avoidance of light because of discomfort)
• decreased visual acuity
• functional blindness

Signs and tests:

The disorder is diagnosed based on the appearance of the skin, hair, and eyes. No testing is usually required.