Central heterochromia may be a rare condition, but it's typically benign. In most cases, it doesn't affect vision or cause any health complications. However, when central heterochromia occurs later in life, it may be a sign of an underlying condition.

Can heterochromia cause problems?

Most of the time, it doesn't cause any problems. It's often just a quirk caused by genes passed down from your parents or by something that happened when your eyes were forming. In rare cases, it can be a symptom of a medical condition. Heterochromia is common in some animals but rare in humans.

What is the rarest form of heterochromia?

How rare is central heterochromia? Complete heterochromia is definitely rare — fewer than 200,000 Americans have the condition, according to the National Institutes of Health.