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Library of Medicine®| On this page: Reviewed October 2012 What
is Waardenburg syndrome? Waardenburg syndrome is a group of
genetic conditions that can cause hearing loss and changes in
coloring (pigmentation) of the hair, skin, and eyes. Although
most people with Waardenburg syndrome have normal hearing,
moderate to profound hearing loss can occur in one or both ears.
The hearing loss is present from birth (congenital). People with
this condition often have very pale blue eyes or different
colored eyes, such as one blue eye and one brown eye. Sometimes
one eye has segments of two different colors. Distinctive hair
coloring (such as a patch of white hair or hair that prematurely
turns gray) is another common sign of the condition. The
features of Waardenburg syndrome vary among affected
individuals, even among people in the same family. The four
known types of Waardenburg syndrome are distinguished by their
physical characteristics and sometimes by thei