Ectopia lentis happens when the lens in your eye is dislocated or moved out of its normal place. Usually, your lens sits right behind your pupil in the center of your eye. You have ectopia lentis if something forces your lens out of alignment into other parts of your eye.
“Ectopia lentis” is the medical term for the lens in your eye being moved out of its usual alignment in the center of your eye.
The lens is one part of your eye that focuses light that enters your eye. This focused light passes through your eye and into your brain to become the images you see. You have one lens in each eye located behind your pupil (the black center of your eye).
Ectopia lentis usually happens after a trauma or injury damages your eye. Children are sometimes born with ectopia lentis (congenital ectopia lentis) caused by a genetic mutation.
Ectopia lentis that only affects one of your eyes is called isolated ectopia lentis. Ectopia lentis that affects both your eyes at the same time is bilateral ectopia lentis.
Visit an eye care specialist as soon as you notice any changes in your eyes or vision. They’ll diagnose the cause of the ectopia lentis and tell you which treatments you’ll need to repair your lens.
The lens in your eye is a lot like the lens of a camera — it adjusts to help you see clearly and focus on what’s in front of you. If you have ectopia lentis, the lens in your eye is out of its usual place. This will make your vision blurry or out of focus. It might cause you to have a refractive error.
The farther off-center your lens is, the more your vision will be affected. If you were born with ectopia lentis, your lens may drift further out of alignment as you get older. If a trauma caused ectopia lentis, you might not be able to see at all out of your affected eye.
People with ectopia lentis are more likely to develop other health conditions that affect their eyes, including:
Ectopia lentis can affect anyone. Experts have found that it affects men and people assigned male at birth more often than women and people assigned female at birth.
Anyone can experience an eye injury. Kids and teenagers are more likely to injure their eyes, especially while playing sports or doing other recreational activities. People who play contact sports like football and hockey have a higher risk, too. And baseball and softball players are more likely to have an eye injury from a flying ball.
Ectopia lentis is rare. Experts estimate that it affects fewer than 10 out of every 100,000 people worldwide.
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The most common symptoms of ectopia lentis include:
The most common causes of ectopia lentis include:
Traumas and other injuries that damage your eye can force your lens out of alignment, including:
Genetic disorders happen when a mutation affects your genes, or when you have the wrong amount of genetic material. You receive half of your genes from each biological parent and may inherit a mutated gene from one or both of them.
Some genetic disorders can increase your risk of developing ectopia lentis, including:
Any health condition that damages your eyes or the tissue in them can cause ectopia lentis, including:
An eye care specialist will diagnose ectopia lentis with an eye exam. They’ll look at your eyes (including inside them). They’ll also give you a visual acuity test to check your vision.
Your eye care specialist will also check the other parts of your eye, including your:
You might also need blood tests to check for genetic disorders that can cause ectopia lentis. A healthcare provider may run tests for genetic disorders that affect your musculoskeletal system, including your:
An eye care specialist or healthcare provider will treat ectopia lentis based on what caused it.
Most people need corrective lenses to restore their vision. Both eyeglasses and contact lenses can improve vision. Your eye care specialist will tell you which type of corrective lens is best for you.
Your healthcare provider will also tell you which treatments you’ll need if the ectopia lentis was caused by a trauma or genetic disorder.
You might need surgery to correct ectopia lentis if you have other issues affecting your eye (like glaucoma or a detached retina). You’ll visit an ophthalmologist — an eye care specialist who can perform eye surgery. They’ll let you know which type of surgery you’ll need and how long it’ll take to recover.
Because ectopia lentis is caused by genetic mutations and traumas you can’t predict, you can’t prevent it.
Talk to a healthcare provider about your risk of passing genetic conditions on to your children. Ask them if genetic counseling can help you identify how genetic conditions might affect your family.
Always wear proper safety equipment for any work or activity that might cause an eye injury.
Having your eyes and vision checked regularly can help an eye care specialist identify problems right away. How often you should get your eyes checked usually depends on your age:
You might need your eyes checked more often than this if you wear glasses or contacts or need another type of visual aid. People who have diabetes, certain eye diseases or a family history of eye diseases need more frequent eye exams. Ask your eye care specialist how often you need your eyes examined.
How much ectopia lentis will affect you in the future depends on a few factors:
Your healthcare provider or eye care specialist will tell you how long it’ll take to recover and how much of your vision you should expect to get back.
Visit an eye care specialist as soon as you notice any changes in your vision — especially if it’s suddenly worse. Even if you don’t have ectopia lentis, it’s important to have your eyes examined right away when you notice new blurriness or feel like your eyes can’t focus correctly.
Go to the emergency room if you’ve experienced a trauma or suddenly lose vision in one or both eyes.
Ectopia lentis and lens subluxation are different names for the same condition. Your eye care specialist might refer to your affected lens as having a degree of subluxation. That’s the medical term for how far out of alignment it is.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
No matter what causes ectopia lentis, if the lens in your eye is out of its usual alignment your vision will be blurry and out of focus. Fortunately, most people can see clearly again with glasses or contacts. If ectopia lentis was caused by a trauma or genetic condition, you might need other treatments in addition to corrective lenses. Visit an eye care specialist as soon as you notice anything different about your vision, even if things just feel a little “off” or not as sharp as they usually are.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 12/15/2022.
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