Hetrochromia Iridis

Here you see, what is striking in this picture? Hmmm, two iris of different colors! Yeah, I had read about this condition called hetrochromia iridis in Ophthalmology text but had never a chance to see myself. Few days back I was sitting in dermatology OPD and there this boy came, 12 years old, with his mother. His elder brother had some skin disease but this boy got more attention than the patient, and he should get, right? How many such people have you come across? Hardly few if you have been lucky.

Hetrochromia iridis was congenital (thought to be autosomal dominant) in this case. Though the condition in itself is harmless but it may present in association with few other diseases like-

• Congenital Horner's syndrome.
• Waardenburg's syndrome: Syndrome in which heterochromia presents as a bilateral iris hypochromia in some cases.
• Piebaldism: Similar to Waardenburg's syndrome, a rare disorder of melanocyte development characterized by a white forelock and multiple symmetrical hypopigmented or depigmented macules.
• Hirschsprung's disease.
• Incontinentia pigmenti.
• Parry-Romberg syndrome.

Luckily the boy was perfectly normal and was happy to have his photo clicked in a hospital where children are given injections mercilessly; as is the image of hospital in their innocent minds.