The blue dot (cerulean) cataract develops in childhood and progresses through early life. It has characteristic discrete blue-white, pinhead shaped opacities radiating from the centre of the lens. They are more numerous in the cortex where they may form large cuneiform (wedge-like) shapes in the mid-periphery. The opacities are usually bilateral and progressive.
Lens opacities can, of course, be associated with chromosomal aberrations, developmental conditions, intrauterine infections, and metabolic errors as well as single gene mutations.
Within a pedigree, this phenotype is consistent in its distribution but variable in its severity. Acuity is usually well preserved; cataract extraction is rarely necessary before adult life and is usually associated with a good outcome.