CASE REPORT article
Front. Ophthalmol.
Sec. Neuro-Ophthalmology Disorders
Volume 5 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fopht.2025.1612964
This article is part of the Research TopicOptic Disc Anomalies and Associated DiseasesView all articles
Rapid Cataract Development Preceding Diabetes Mellitus in WFS1 Spectrum Disorder
Provisionally accepted
- 1Hamilton Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
- 2Specialized Pediatric Eye Care, Beverly, MA, United States
- 3Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
- 4Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, School of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
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WFS1 spectrum disorder is a rare condition, characterized by diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, and deafness (DIDMOAD). A 2-year-old female with a history of sensorineural hearing loss presented with rapid, sequential cataract development. Diabetes mellitus was not manifested at the time but developed 4 years later. While cataracts have been described in this syndrome, rapid acquisition of cataracts in the setting of mild hyperglycemia was unique considering they could not be definitively attributed to diabetes mellitus alone. This case provides real-world evidence that rapid WFS1-related cataract development may result from the underlying condition perhaps in conjunction with WFS1-associated diabetes mellitus.
Keywords: WFS1 spectrum disorder, Cataract, Diabetes Mellitus, Wolfram Syndrome, Optic Atrophy
Received: 15 May 2025; Accepted: 11 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gulani, Duggan, Ledoux and Gaier. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Eric D Gaier, Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, United States
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