![]() In addition to surgeries related to associated eye abnormalities, another option is available for those with microphthalmia - the artificial (prosthetic) eye. Partial or complete absence of the iris ( aniridia) These eye abnormalities include but are not limited to: While there’s no way to prevent or fully correct this birth defect, there are surgeries available for treating eye abnormalities that may be present alongside microphthalmia. Just like other organs in the body (with the exception of the liver and skin), eyes can’t be regenerated after birth - while they do have the capability of repairing themselves after trauma, injury or disease, but they cannot regrow themselves. There’s no cure for microphthalmia since new eyes cannot be created, even with all the remarkable advances in medical science. Some pre-existing or chronic conditions include diabetes, cancer and obesity. Underlying medical conditions – The existence of health-related conditions prior to and during pregnancy may interfere with fetal growth. ![]() These include drinking alcohol or caffeine, using tobacco products or illegal drugs, taking certain medicines or engaging in poor dietary habits. These include toxins and chemicals (mercury, solvents, pesticides, radiation from X-rays, etc.) as well as infections such as rubella and toxoplasmosis, or viruses such as herpes simplex and Zika.Īdverse behavioral factors – Engaging in certain activities may affect babies in utero. Harmful environmental factors – Exposure to certain things acquired through the environment may pose issues for fetal development. Some risk factors that focus on the mother during pregnancy include: Instead of specific causes, it’s useful to look at general risk factors that may shine a light on reasons eye-related birth defects occur. However, research on birth defects as it relates to gene or chromosomal anomalies is so inconclusive that pinpointing an obvious genetic cause is not possible. Microphthalmia may be attributed to genetics. The exact cause of microphthalmia is difficult, if not impossible, to identify. Causes and risk factors of microphthalmia Upon inspection, there may be some residual tissue, but formation of the eyeball during fetal development either completely stopped, degenerated or did not occur at all. How the eyeball will function in terms of vision depends on the severity of the microphthalmia.Īnophthalmia, on the other hand, occurs when one or both eyeballs don’t form at all and are absent. It may seem as if the eyeball is completely missing from the socket, but on closer inspection, it still has some eye tissue remaining, thus the “small eye” appearance. With microphthalmia, one or both eyeballs don’t grow to full size. Both are birth defects that affect the eyes, but they’re not the same. Microphthalmia is often confused with anophthalmia. SEE RELATED: Rare eye diseases Microphthalmia vs. Non-syndromic microphthalmia means this birth defect occurs in isolation and not in concert with other conditions. It’s characterized by microphthalmia plus malformations of other parts of the body, such as eyelids (blepharoptosis), skull (microcephaly), spine (scoliosis) or fingers (clinodactyly). ![]() This rare birth defect is passed down through families (inherited) and almost exclusively affects males. ![]() Lenz microphthalmia syndrome, for example, is a type of syndromic microphthalmia. Syndromic microphthalmia refers to a birth defect occurring in conjunction with other conditions that affect organs and tissues in other parts of the body. Here are the main characteristics of each: It’s important to note that between a third and a half of all those with microphthalmia have it as part of a syndrome and that the treatments for syndromic and non-syndromic are handled in different ways. Microphthalmia can be part of a syndrome (syndromic microphthalmia) or be present by itself (non-syndromic microphthalmia). Also called “small eye syndrome,” it may be caused by genetics, although risk factors may also contribute to this birth defect. ![]() Vision may be impaired due to this malformation and its accompanying conditions.Īccording to MedlinePlus, microphthalmia occurs in 1 in 10,000 births. In complex cases, small eyeballs are associated with other eye abnormalities, such as cataracts, coloboma and ptosis. Normal vision is possible if the eyes are slightly smaller than normal. With simple cases, small eyeballs are anatomically intact, meaning all parts of the eye are present and functioning properly. While in the uterus, the eyeballs of the baby fail to grow or form correctly, resulting in limited or severe loss of vision, or even blindness. Microphthalmia is a congenital (present at birth) defect identified by the unusual smallness of one (unilateral) or both (bilateral) eyeballs. ![]()
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