There are plenty of blogs on eye health, diseases and looking after our eyes, but what if you have no eye(s)? The term is called Anophthalmia (anophthalmos) for a condition that results in either or both eyes not forming ante-natally.
The complete absence of eye tissue is called primary anophthalmia.
If the eye begins to develop but does not form completely it is termed secondary anophthalmia. The patient will be left with only residual eye tissue or possibly tiny eyes visible under close examinaton.
If there is a lack of blood supply to the eye the eye can begin to form but then degenerate. This is classed as degenerative anophthalmia.
Unfortunately there is no cure for Anophthalmia. Protheses can be surgically implanted to assist eye socket growth and of course for cosmetically pleasing results. It may well be that the infant demonstrates additional conditions.
Microphthalmos is a condition that begins eye formation during pregnancy but is halted at some stage leaving the inflicted with very small eyes. The size is variable from patient to patient. Some cases can go completely unnoticed if it is not severe yet if mild it can almost go unnoticed but is usually very obvious. Extreme microphthalmia which is similar to the forms of anophthalmia can only be distinguished by examining especially stained tissue under a microscope
In cases where there has been a failure of the closure of the optic fissure a gap will be left in some or the entirety of the structure of the eye. This condition called Colobama will normally present as a mis-shaped pupil. It can develop in differing severities.
The condition Complete coloboma is when all of the structures of the eye are affected including the choroid, the optic disk, retina,the ciliary body, the iris and the macular.