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Heterochromia iridum is a condition where an individual has irises of contrasting shades, caused by hereditary diseases, injuries, or cancer. Side effects range from vision distortion to blindness and eye inflammation. It can be acquired due to cataracts or glaucoma, chemicals or infections, or genetic disorders.
Heterochromia iridum is an inborn or acquired eye condition characterized by an individual having irides – the plural of iris – of contrasting shades. In some people or animals, one iris may be dark brown or blue, while the other is green or hazel. This condition, also known as heterochromia of the iris, can also express itself through intrairide color variations, with an eye having two, three or more contrasting sectors of pigment.
Causes include hereditary diseases, injuries or cancer, and other eye diseases. While some people experience no effects other than superficial changes in eye color, others with the condition can experience a wide spectrum of side effects, including vision distortion, blindness, and eye inflammation. Side effects depend on the nature of the cause.
Elderly patients often acquire heterochromia iridum due to cataracts or glaucoma. Research findings suggest that glaucoma may accelerate changes in eye pigment for adults in two ways. Glaucoma-related optic nerve damage and eye pressure can cause color abnormalities, or eye drops prescribed by doctors to treat glaucoma may contain ingredients that cause hypopigmentation or a color change in the iris.
Clinical research suggests that people with iris cancer may suffer from iridium heterochromia. The type of eye cancer known as melanocytic stromal proliferation can alter the structure of the eye and change color through the presence of lesions, which can mask parts of the iris. While eye melanomas are highly treatable, the consistent color may not return.
Individuals exposed to chemicals or infections can acquire a form of iridum heterochromia caused by Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis (FHI), an eye condition in which iris inflammation and discoloration occur. FHI can be temporary or permanent. Lesions that cause bleeding in the eye can also induce the condition.
Human children and animals born with heterochromia iridum typically have one of several genetic disorders linked to contrasting eye shades, including Horner syndrome and Waardenburg syndrome. In cases of Waardenburg syndrome, a person or animal may not only experience dissimilar eye pigments, but also a variety of skin pigments, hearing loss, and tooth abnormalities. Horner’s syndrome is a condition in which the nerves between the brain and the eye are destroyed or do not develop properly. Newborns who have heterochromia iridum but have no genetic predisposition for any syndrome may have the condition due to nerve damage that occurred from a traumatic injury during delivery or shortly after birth.
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