An ocular disease ophthalmoscopically identical to collie eye anomaly
(CEA) is described in the Lancashire heeler breed of terrier. Survey w
ork completed in 1996 demonstrated a significant incidence of 13.7 per
cent. The clinical findings together with initial pedigree analysis s
upport the accepted view that, in the traditionally affected breeds, C
EA is a true pleiomorph which segregates as a recessive Mendelian trai
t. Alternative hypothesis speculates that the several lesions ascribed
to CEA may occur as separate congenital disease entities, each with i
ts own mode of inheritance. However, the combination of bilateral chlo
roidal hypoplasia, papillary or peripapillary coloboma and neuroretina
l non-attachment in a non-collie breed tends to confirm that these thr
ee lesions are indeed individual parts of the one disease. The establi
shed appearance of CEA outwith the collie breeds dictates that the nom
enclature for this disease is now somewhat inappropriate and that an a
lternative name should be considered. It is suggested that the term 'c
ongenital posterior segment anomaly' could be adopted.