it is a heriditory disease of mitochondrial pathology, transmitted by mother.usually  males are affected. it involves the optic nerve. and presents in early young age.and progressing  to blindness upto young middle age.if a father is affected his son is likely  not to be affected but his daughter is a carrier and her son is likely to be affected .it should be diagnosed in early childhood and if smoking and alcohol and some  medicines eg ethambutol are avoided and vit b12,vitc,vit e and some medicines are given  then upto late middle age the blindness  can be avoided.

Lebers optic neuropathy is blindness occurring due to genetic factors . It can occur in males and females ; however only females with this disease will pass on the genes to their children . Hence a Father with Lebers will never cause lebers in his children. Maskatieyeclinic Opposite Charni road station east, Mumbai