What causes iris pigmentation?

What causes iris pigmentation?

Eye color is directly related to the amount and quality of melanin in the front layers of the iris. People with brown eyes have a large amount of melanin in the iris, while people with blue eyes have much less of this pigment. A particular region on chromosome 15 plays a major role in eye color.

What does pigmentation of the iris mean?

Pigment is the material that gives your iris its color. Pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS) happens when the pigment rubs off the back of your iris. This pigment then floats around to other parts of the eye. The tiny bits of pigment can clog your eye’s drainage angle. This can cause eye pressure problems.

How common is pigmentary dispersion syndrome?

Pigment dispersion syndrome is a relatively uncommon condition that affects about 1% of the population. Pigment clumps that are normally attached to the back surface of the iris (the colored part of the eye) fall off the iris into the clear fluid in the eye called the aqueous humor.

Can pigment dispersion syndrome be cured?

Pigment dispersion syndrome is a risk factor for developing glaucoma and patients who have this condition should be monitored regularly. Patients with pigmentary glaucoma can be treated successfully. Thankfully, with modern treatments, many patients are able to maintain excellent vision.

Does pigmentary glaucoma cause blindness?

Since pigmentary glaucoma can have no symptoms, and because it typically occurs at a younger age, this form of glaucoma is often underdiagnosed. However, if identified early and treated appropriately, patients often do well, and blindness from this form of glaucoma is relatively rare.

Is pigmentary glaucoma hereditary?

Pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS) and pigmentary glaucoma (PG) are presumed to be inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.

Is pigmentary glaucoma rare?

Blindness due to pigmentary glaucoma is rare. In a study of 113 patients with PDS and pigmentary glaucoma, 3 eyes in 2 patients were blind. Progression of the disease, however, is common. Ten percent of patients with PDS progressed to pigmentary glaucoma at 5 years and 15% developed pigmentary glaucoma by 10 years.

Does pigmentary glaucoma get better?

Pigmentary glaucoma tends to get better with age, remission usually beginning in the mid-40s with the onset of presbyopia , Dr. Ritch said. So, while patients with other types of glaucoma may see worsening of their symptoms in their 50s or by age 60, those with pigmentary glaucoma tend to find their condition has improved.

What causes pigment dispersion syndrome?

One of the possible cause due to which pigment dispersion syndrome develops is that some people have unique anatomy of eye which causes the lens zonules (fibres) to rub against the back of the iris. This releases the pigment from iris which leads to pigment dispersion syndrome.

What color are iris eyes?

The iris is the colored disk in the center of the eye. The color of the iris which can range from brown, black, blue, green, gray and hazel is caused by the amount of the pigment melanin that is present. Melanin is also the pigment that gives color to our skin and hair.

What is lack of pigment in the eye?

Lack of eye pigment. Lack of eye pigment can be due to: genetics/inheritance; congenital condition called albinism characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, eyes and hair; lack of nerve innervation to iris (congential horner’s syndrome); trauma; prior eye surgery.