How dangerous is a retinal coloboma?

A retinal coloboma is a condition where part of the retina (light sensitive tissue at the back of the eye) is absent from birth. In general, any vision loss is present from birth.

Being uncertain what you mean by “present on the edges,” we can say that the two main risks of retinal coloboma are retinal detachment and abnormal blood vessel growth with bleeding or choroidal neovascularization. Both are relatively uncommon and are treatable, but retinal detachment repair with a coloboma can be challenging. We recommend evaluation by a retina specialist, and if the patient is a child then it may be best to see an ophthalmologist who specializes in pediatric retina.