Cateye and heterochromia
This is my eye. My left eye with a reflection through my balcony French doors, to be precise, and bloodshot because this morning my cat pulled a stunt somewhat like this cartoon. Instead of a baseball bat, it was one of his hind legs that punched me. I’m thankful to still have my eye; this photo better shows how close he came.
My eyes have a coloring that’s known as central heterochromia, meaning my iris has a circle of a different color around the pupil. In addition to having heterochromial eyes, I also have hair with sectoral heterochromia (I was born with a blonde streak, the rest is dark brown):
I have the Internet to thank for finally being able to put a name to my blonde streak and eyes.
April 2nd, 2008 at 18:50
Hello
I have sort of similar features, my eyes are brown in the middle with a blue rim around, with the upper side so light that it looks fading. My hair is brown but with golden flashes and, what is oddest, now that I am turning 47 my hair is getting blond spots rather than grey… I look a lot younger, could be taken for 30 y.o. or less. I was told I could have a genetic condition called mosaicism or chimerism (I am currently under test for that), and that could even help me resist infections - in fact I never got any children’s disease. May I ask you if you ever noticed something similar, sorry if I am disturbing you but finding a heterochromic kin is so rare…
Have a nice time.
Simon
April 2nd, 2008 at 19:32
No worries, I know the feeling! I’ve only ever met one other person with heterochromial hair in real life, and that was when I was 7 years old. I had loads of illnesses as a child, so I don’t think I have the heightened resistance to infection. I do wonder what color(s?) my hair is going to turn as it greys…!
May 12th, 2008 at 22:36
You are the only person I have ever come across whose hair is remotely similar to my son’s. He has brown hair with a definite platinum blonde (not white) patch in back. It was present at birth but has grown from the size of a dime to over 2 inches across at age seven. The scalp is pinker in this spot, and I think a bit more sensitive than the rest of his head. He has no other heterochromia irregularities. The UCLA Dermatology staff was stumped and amazed.
Has anyone ever suggested you excise this spot? I am worried that my boy will face this one day.
May 13th, 2008 at 06:44
Goodness no, no one’s ever suggested excision! It doesn’t affect health in any way, it’s just a different hair color (and I too have pinker, more sensitive skin where my blonde hair is). In a way I see it as a gift, to be living proof that differences can live side by side.
Keeping in mind that I’m not a doctor and this is based only on what I’ve read over the years, in the cases where heterochromia is a sign of health problems, it’s just that — a sign, it’s not the cause. Kind of like having freckles is a sign of sensitive skin, but not the cause!