What refractive condition is caused by a damaged cornea, resulting in ray of light coming to many focal points on the retina?

Irregular astigmatism is characterized by the presence of a damaged or irregularly shaped cornea, which causes light rays to focus at multiple points on the retina, rather than converging at a single point. This condition typically arises due to factors like corneal scarring or keratoconus, where the cornea becomes cone-shaped. As a result, light entering the eye is refracted unevenly, leading to blurred or distorted vision.

In contrast, other types of astigmatism, such as regular astigmatism, involve a consistent curvature in the cornea, causing light rays to focus at two separate points but in a more predictable manner. Myopic and hyperopic astigmatism are variations that also deal with the overall refractive error being either near-sighted (myopic) or far-sighted (hyperopic), but they do not typically stem from corneal damage nor result in the complex focusing issues seen with irregular astigmatism. The defining feature of irregular astigmatism is its chaotic focal distribution on the retina, making it distinct from regular forms of astigmatism where the refractive errors are more uniform.