The Coexistence of Oculocutaneous Albinism with Schizophrenia

Abstract

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is an extremely rare skin disorder which occurs in 0.005% of the world population, whereas schizophrenia is a rare mental illness which affects 1% of the world population. Researchers have spent much time searching for the causes of schizophrenia, as they are still largely unknown. It was previously hypothesized that schizophrenia could be caused by a defect in melatonin metabolism, leading to increased melanin production and the production of hallucinogenic agent. However, this implies that albinos would be protected against schizophrenia (since they have little to no melanin production), and although rare, there have been several case reports of albinos with schizophrenia, refuting this hypothesis. Following their discovery of schizophrenic albinos, several researchers have instead wondered whether schizophrenia and albinism could actually be genetically linked. To further this discussion, we present a case report of a 25-year-old African-American male with OCA2 and schizophrenia. He was hospitalized after his mother discovered the existence of a BB that was lodged in his forehead from a failed suicide attempt in response to command auditory hallucinations. The BB was removed during his hospitalization, and he was psychiatrically stabilized on a combination of risperidone, lithium, and escitalopram.

Study on the Correlation Between Iris Characteristics and Schizophrenia

“…It is broadly accepted that the eyes and brain develop from the same layer (neural ectoderm), and many genes are implicated in both the eyes and normal neuronal development, 7 , 8 such as Semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A) , 9 Paired box 6 (Pax6) , 10 , 11 SIX homeobox 3 (SIX3) , 12 , 13 HECT and RLD domain containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 2 ( HERC2 ), 14 , 15 and Oculocutaneous Albinism II (OCA2) . 16 , 17 Importantly, these genes are also related to schizophrenia and other mental disorders. 9 , 18–22 The link between structural eye characteristics and psychiatric disorders has been increasingly confirmed in recent years.…”