Consensus guidelines for nomenclature of companion animal inherited retinal disorders

Abstract

Companion animals, namely dogs, cats, and horses, can be affected with many forms of hereditary retinal disease. The number of such diseases characterized in the last decade has increased substantially, and nomenclature is nonstandardized, heterogenous, and confusing. We provide in this viewpoint article consensus guidelines for naming of companion animal hereditary retinal diseases, either prospectively or retrospectively. These consensus guidelines have been developed with the purpose of standardizing nomenclature. We provide examples for the iterative nomenclature process and a comprehensive File S1 on proposed renaming of previously described diseases.