What is aniridia?
Aniridia (pronounced Ani-rid-i-a) is a rare condition which means the iris, the coloured part of your eye, is missing or incomplete. Aniridia normally affects both eyes and is a condition you are born with. Aniridia is a genetic condition, which means it is caused by a mutation, or fault, in a gene. In the majority of cases, aniridia is caused by a fault in the PAX6 gene.
If your iris is incomplete or missing then your pupil will be very large. This means that your eye isn't able to adjust to differing levels of light. Aniridia can cause poor vision and sensitivity to light. Unfortunately there is no treatment to cure aniridia at the moment. There are treatments available for some of the eye conditions associated with aniridia, such as cataracts, glaucoma or keratopathy.
You can get further advice and support from the Aniridia Network:
- 07792 867 949
- [email protected]
- aniridia.org.uk
