ID this eye problem

Factual Questions
1

Not medical advice at all, just curiosity.

I have a friend that wears bigger-than-coke-bottle glasses. He said that among his eye problems, his left eye can’t see much to the right. Like at a certain point, the vision in his left eye is cut off and there’s a huge blind spot.

Is there a single or at least probable condition or mechanism that would cause this? What is field of vision controlled by?

I’m sure he knows, I just didn’t want to pry.

2

Does he have the same problem with his right eye looking to the left? Perhaps he just has a big nose.

3

Nope :slight_smile: Oddly enough, his identical twin brother has the exact same problem in his right eye…

4

I can’t say what could have caused it in his case, but there are quite a few problems that can reduce field of vision. Glaucoma reduces peripheral vision. Retinal detachment can be more common in people who have extreme nearsightedness, and would damage part of the vision depending on where the detachment occurred. Then there are various diseases that damage vision in parts of the eye - infections, diabetic issues, and others. Some of those are more of an overall reduction in vision, while some (especially infections) would cause damage in more specific parts.

My wild guess in your friend’s case would be retinal detachment, because of the nature of the vision loss and his (also wild guess) extreme nearsightedness.

5

This is known as a “nasal step,” and is common in the visual fields of patients with early glaucoma. Is he seeing an eye doc?

6

Oops, didn’t see this the first time. This fact makes me think of a congenital retinal coloboma:

http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/coloboma.

Of course, as others have said, it could be a number of things.

7

Interesting, cromulent! He says his mother has just as bad eyesight as him and his brother so I’d guess genetics as well.

I don’t think that his iris is messed up, but you bet I am going to try to see if it is now :slight_smile:

And yes, since both the boys have had chronic eye problems since birth, they do see eye doctors regularly.

8

Retinal coloboma can be present with iris coloboma and vice-versa, but it isn’t necessarily.
Also, I realize that I royally hosed up the URL above, so here it is again:

http://www.healthline.com/galecontent/coloboma.