Supporting people with aniridia and their Families
Just Diagnosed? click here
Supporting people with aniridia and their Families
Just Diagnosed? click here
What is Aniridia?Aniridia is a genetic eye condition that is present at birth (congenital) and is almost always bilateral.
Aniridia literally means "without iris." In most cases this is the most visible sign of the condition. However, aniridia is caused when the gene responiable for eye development - the PAX6 gene - does not function correctly. This causes the eye to stop developing too early and when the baby is born most of the eye is underdeveloped to some degree. Some aniridic eyes are more developed than others and therefore it is difficult to say exactly how aniridia will progress in an individual, however, in general people with aniridia are prone to. Iris hypoplasia: No iris Nystagmus: Wobbly eyes Cataracts: Cloudy lens Glaucoma: Damage to the optic nerve caused by increased eye pressure Aniridic Keratopathy: Cloudy corneas Fovea/macular hypoplasia: Underdevelopment of the retina Optic Nerve hypoplasia: Underdevelopment of the optic nerve Amblyopia: Loss of vision in a non-dominant eye Microcornea: small cornea Stabismus: squint, crosseyes Some small studies in to the affect of the PAX6 gene have shown it can have a mild affect on the brain and the pancreas and therefore, people with aniridia may be prone to Dysosmia: impaired sense of smell Dysnomia: Difficulty in recalling individual words while showing understanding of the meaning Glucose Intolerance: This is the precursor to diabetes which has no physical signs but may lead to diabetes. There is only one reported family in which aniridia and diabetes is linked. Aniridia may also be a symptom of two other genetic syndromes, |