Iris heterochromia
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| Q13.2 | Other congenital malformations of the iris |
| H21.2 | Degeneration of the iris and ciliary body |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
As heterochromia ( heterochromia iridis ), even Odd-Eye (d) , referred to the difference of the two irises of the eyes by interfering with pigmentation . The living being in question therefore has two different eye colors : one color is the original, the other the pathologically changed.
terminology
In the English specialist literature, flat (ring-shaped or sectoral ) color variations within a single iris are referred to as (partial) heterochromia, a finding that is often encountered and which German ophthalmologists refer to as "iris bicolor" (two-colored iris). Unilateral changes in the color of the iris can also be caused by blood leakage (green color) or iron deposits (brown color).
Simple form
Significant color differences are rare; slight differences are the rule. They are not noticed by the environment and give rise to misdiagnosis. Due to the lack of pigment, the affected eye usually looks a bit lighter (bluer), but it can also appear darker (heterochromia inversa).
Simple heterochromia does not lead to deterioration in vision and is also not treatable . Direct inheritance could only be assured for special forms, for example in Waardenburg syndrome , in which it occurs in connection with inner ear hearing loss (autosomal dominant inheritance ). Genetic factors certainly play a role as in animals .
Heterochromia in the sense defined here occurs relatively rarely in humans . White or piebald pets with partial or full leucism , such as cats or dogs , are more likely to be affected, which may be due to intensive breeding efforts.
Heterochromia complicata
With heterochromia in the affected eye, Fuchs heterochromic iridocyclitis often develops, which is a chronically progressing, therapeutically hardly influenceable iris inflammation. As the disease progresses, the lens becomes cloudy and even cataracts (cataracta complicata), which is, however, easy to operate.
The involvement of the sympathetic nerve results in the development of Horner's syndrome .
Occasionally, cranial nerve disorders (congenital facial and abdomen paresis ) also occur. Damage to the trigeminal nerve can lead to neuroparalytical keratitis .
All of these ocular features are based on dysraphic disorders, which are summarized in the overall picture of the “ Passow symptom complex ”.
In about 70% of the cases of heterochromia complicata somatic features can be observed:
- Unilateral atrophy of the face and body
- Unilateral atrophy of the female breast, hypopigmentation of the areola
- Developmental disorders of the skeletal system (curvature of the spine).
Heterochromia in concentration camp experiments
The biologist Karin Magnussen , who adhered to the National Socialist racial theory, was of the opinion that congenital heterochromia could be "cured". She heard from a colleague about Sinti children with two colors of eyes. In 1943 the Mechau family, to which these children belonged, were sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp . Josef Mengele had eye drops administered to people with heterochrome eyes. These eye drops (possibly adrenaline ) caused eye swelling or even blindness . Mengele had contact with Magnussen and promised to send her the children's eyes after their death. The children were murdered by a heart injection .
gallery
Two colored iris ,
(so-called "central heterochromia."): Green exterior iris ring around the pupil of yellowish-brown.
Iris with local pigmentation disorder
(so-called "sectorial heterochromia")
Heterochromia in a cat
Irish heterochromia in a husky
Heterochromia in a border collie puppy with the merle factor
Heterochromia is considered a false color in the Dalmatian .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Fritz Hollwich: Ophthalmology. A concise textbook with 487 exam questions and a key to the subject catalog . 8th, revised edition. Thieme, Stuttgart 1976, ISBN 3-13-355108-6 .
- ↑ Eyes from Auschwitz. In: hans-hesse.de. Retrieved March 24, 2017 .