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CompletedNCT04658381APOGEEUpdated Jan 6, 2026

Genetic Analysis and Multimodal Retinal Imaging of Asymptomatic Fovea Plana Cases in the General Population

An interventional study of Genetic analysis and Ophthalmologic exam in Fovea Plana and Albinism, sponsored by Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild. Completed at 1 site in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-01-06.

Sponsored by Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild · Not applicable, Interventional, and Screening

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
20
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

Albinism is a genetic condition, resulting from mutations in at least 19 known genes responsible for the production of melanin in the skin, hair and eyes.

Ophthalmological manifestations are a constant feature of this disease. Albinism is believed to be responsible for 5% of visual impairments worldwide and all albino patients have some degree of fovea plana. In the milder forms, it is a slightly less marked foveolar depression with conservation of the normal diameter of the cones and, therefore, good visual function.

In addition to its known association with various ocular pathologies such as albinism, aniridia, nanophthalmia and retinopathy of prematurity, fovea plana was found in 3% of a population of normal children (without known ocular or systemic pathology) in a study conducted in 2014 to determine a pediatric normative basis for macular volume measured by optical coherence imaging (Stratus OCT).

More recently, a study carried out at the Hospital Foundation Adolphe de Rothschild showed that at least 35% of parents of albino children, who are totally asymptomatic, present with fovea plana in OCT. This frequency is higher than the 3% prevalence of fovea plana in asymptomatic subjects without a family history of albinism, suggesting a modulation of heterozygosity for a known gene for albinism.

The aim of this study is to verify, in patients with fortuitously discovered fovea plana (preoperative OCT for cataract surgery), with conservation of visual function and without known or manifest albinism, whether they are carriers of mutation in one of the genes referenced for albinism. This will also allow us to characterize these foveolar profiles in OCT according to the classification of Thomas et al., as well as in terms of retinal capillary density in OCT-Angiography, in order to know whether it is the same type of fovea plana or if the phenotype differs depending on the genetic damage.

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Conditions studied

  • Fovea Plana
  • Albinism

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Keywords

  • Carriers
  • General population
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In context

Albinism

17 studies on the registry are indexed under Albinism; 8 are open to participants now.

Browse Albinism studies →

Lead sponsor

Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild is the lead sponsor of 316 studies on the registry; 78 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

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Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Patient over 18 years old;
  • Diagnosis of fovea plana in one or both eyes, confirmed by two ophthalmologists blinded to each other from OCT-B imaging;

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Known Albinism
  • Known family history of albinism
  • History of eye surgery other than cataract
  • Alteration of macular visual function (loss of visual acuity independent of a disorder of the environments, central scotoma, metamorphopsies, etc.)
  • Presence of another anomaly in OCT in addition to the fovea plana (epiretinal membrane, damage to the external retina, etc.)
  • Syndromic fovea plana
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding woman
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Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Screening
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
20 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Genetic analysis

    Genetic: Genetic analysis · Procedure: Ophthalmologic exam

Interventions

  • GeneticGenetic analysis

    Patient exome sequencing will be performed by Illumina technology on the NextSeq 550 sequencer. Briefly, the exons of the genes are selected by capture and are amplified by PCR simultaneously, in a single reaction, and then sequenced by Illumina technology. The analysis will only concern genes involved in albinism and in genetic pathologies associated with fovea plana.

  • ProcedureOphthalmologic exam

    Standard ophthalmologic assessment (measurement of visual acuity, measurement of intraocular pressure, slit lamp examination), OCT-B scan, OCT-Angiography, Adaptive optics

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Describe the results of genetic analysis for the various variants of known genes involved in albinism and in genetic pathologies associated with fovea plana

    Genetic sampling carried out for the study. Patient exome sequencing. The analysis will only concern genes involved in albinism and in genetic pathologies associated with fovea plana

    Time frame: 2 years

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Study locations

1 site
  • Hôpital Fondation A. de Rothschuld
    Paris, 75019, France
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References and documents

Publications

  • Lejoyeux R, Michaud V, Le Boite H, Plaisant C, Helot I, Philippe E, Lasseaux E, Vasseur V, Fessard K, Picard H, Le Cossec C, Bruneau S, Le Mer Y, Arveiler B, Couturier A, Bonnin S. Genetic analysis of participants with foveal hypoplasia. Ophthalmic Genet. 2025 Dec;46(6):559-562. doi: 10.1080/13816810.2025.2520411. Epub 2025 Jun 23. PubMed 40546025 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 6, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04658381
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Dec 8, 2020
Start date
Dec 17, 2020
Primary completion
Nov 2, 2023
Completion
Nov 2, 2023
Last update
Jan 6, 2026

Study contacts

Raphaël LEJOYEUX, MD
principal investigator · Hôpital Fondation A. de Rothschild

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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