Cat Eye Syndrome
By: Madison Kenney
Cat Eye Syndrome or the scientific term Uveal Coloboma is a rare disorder that 1 in 10,000 people can receive. Scientists to this day still do not what genes are associated with Uveal Coloboma but they do know that the chromosomes are autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive X. There are also many other genes that are associated with Cat Eye Syndrome which are CDF6, CHD7 and PAX6. The symptoms all depend on which part of the eye is affected and the missing tissue. But some examples of the symptoms are that your eyes can be very sensitive to light and you can have field defect vision too. Field defect vision is when you're missing vision in a specific location. Some other symptoms are difference in eye color, eye twitching and nearsightedness.
Anyone can inherit this mutation but there is a greater possibility if you have a family member who also has Cat Eye Syndrome. If a family member has Cat Eye Syndrome then it can range from 0% to even 50% chance that you can have it. Sometimes it can be inherited by a family member or it can happen by chance, with no medical history of the mutation in your family at all. Sadly there is no cure, but you can use treatment to reduce the symptoms. For example you can wear glasses or contact lenses and you should use low vision devices so they don't irritate your eyes even more. Also you should treat any other eye conditions like cataracts while you have Cat Eye Syndrome.