Aniridia is the absence of the iris, usually involving both eyes.
Aniridia is usually inherited in what is known
as an autosomal dominant pattern.
Aniridia is almost always bilateral(affecting both eyes),
and is categorized as either partial or total.
With partial Aniridia, part of the iris is missing,
and the affected individual will have large, misshapen pupils surrounded by a thin ring of color;
When this condition is caused by trauma it can sometimes be repaired surgically,
but children born with Aniridia will need regular eye exams throughout their lives.
Glaucoma often appears at some point during the affected person's adolescence,
and more than half of Aniridia sufferers- and perhaps as many as 80 percent- eventually develop cataracts.
While the name Aniridia implies the complete absence of an iris,
the truth is that there is always some rudimentary iritic tissue present, even in cases of so-called“total Aniridia.”.
The degree to which this condition affects vision varies from
one patient to another, but some children with Aniridia have 20/30 vision or
better(meaning that they can see as well at a distance of 20 feet as a normal person can see at 30).