Comparison between the characteristics of congenital and acquired colour vision defects
| Congenital defects | Acquired defects |
| Present at birth | Onset after birth |
| Type and severity of defect is stable throughout life | Type and severity of defect may fluctuate |
| Type of defect can be classified precisely | Type of defect may not be easy to classify. Combined or non-specific deficiencies frequently occur |
| Both eyes are equally affected | Monocular differences in the type and severity of the defect often occur |
| Visual acuity is unaffected (except in monochromatism) and visual fields are normal | Visual acuity is often reduced and visual field defects often occur |
| Predominantly protan or deutan | Predominantly “tritan-like” |
| Higher prevalence in males | Approximately equal prevalence in males and females |