#microphthalmia

[disability-shout-outs]

Shout out to folks with Microphthalmia!

[thankurpastself]

My dog is blind and deaf because of irresponsible double Merle backyard breeding. I wrote a poem about her.

[pacificremains]

A break from doggos for a kitty. This friend looks to have had microphthalmia or perhaps a removed eye.

[bpod-bpod]

Eyes Have It

Study in zebrafish reveals a gene called flrt2 is important for retinal development and function – loss leads to microphthalmia or small eyes

Read the published research paper here

Image adapted from work by Siyu Yang and colleagues

Department of Ophthalmology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, China

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Biology Open, June 2023

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[atlxolotl]

Microphthalmia (Greek: μικρός, mikros, 'small', ὀφθαλμός, ophthalmos, 'eye', also referred as microphthalmos, is a developmental disorder of the eye in which one (unilateral microphthalmia) or both (bilateral microphthalmia) eyes are abnormally small and have anatomic malformations.

It has been postulated that microphthalmia arises as a result of interference with postnatal eye growth, in contrast to anophthalmia which originates much earlier during fetal development. Genetic causes of microphthalmia include chromosomal abnormalities or monogenetic Mendelian disorders. Microphthalmia in newborns is sometimes associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or infections during pregnancy, particularly herpes simplex virus, rubella and cytomegalovirus (CMV), but the evidence is inconclusive.

Microphthalmia cannot be cured. However, there are treatments options to manage the condition and its associated symptoms. When the affected eye(s) display some visual function, a patient's eyesight can be improved (sometimes up to good state) by plus lenses, as a small eye is usually far-sighted. When one of the eyes is unaffected, caution should be taken to guard this 'good' eye and preserve its vision. In these unilateral cases, eye glasses may be worn to offer a measure of physical protection.

A key aspect of managing this condition is accounting for the small volume of the eye. The small orbit size characteristic of microphthalmia can impact the growth and structural development of the face after birth. As a result, microphthalmia can cause hemifacial asymmetry. This possibility is a particular concern for individuals with unilateral cases of microphthalmia.

[ghost-roads]

my life is a constant string of "i'm not this enough to call myself this". i'm literally blind in one eye and wear a prosthetic eye but don't call myself disabled because i'm like? not in a wheelchair? idk. i'm a lesbian but i've been attracted to fictional men on occasion so i feel guilty calling myself a lesbian. i have had depression for 8 years but i've learnt to live with it so i don't call myself depressed because that would be disrespectful to other depressed people who are struggling more than i am...somehow? this is all so stupid but also 100% stems from spending so many years on tumblr and internalising that minority contest mentality. i shouldn't be made to feel like my experiences don't matter because people have it worse. i shouldn't be made to feel like i can't use a certain word to talk about myself because my experience isn't the same as someone else who is also using the same word. we're all just trying to get by here folks. your experiences are valid, and you are entitled to the same consideration others are given. don't be afraid to ask for it.

[dogduocatquartet]

baby jack! he has a drawer under the bed where he likes to hang and he will instantly appear if we present him with some wet food

[am-i-too-old-for-warriors-yet]

Redraw of my girlie! 

A little reference sheet for Cricketleap