protruding lower lip

Corpus Callosum Agenesis with Facial Anomalies and Cerebellar Ataxia

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

The thick, bushy eyebrows and long eyelashes are part of the generalized hirsutism.  The eyelids appear puffy.  Strabismus of unknown type has been reported.

Systemic Features: 

Infants are hypertonic at birth but this seems to be less evident as they grow.  Slow physical growth and psychomotor delay are common.  The skull in newborns is small.  The ears are low-set, protruding, and posteriorly rotated.  The nostrils are anteverted and the lower lip protrudes.  There are severe cognitive defects which has been called mental retardation.  Speech is poor or may never develop.  Cerebellar ataxia and uncoordinated hand movements are features.  Brain imaging reveals cerebellar hypoplasia and some degree of corpus callosum agenesis including absence.

Genetics

Homozygous mutations in the FRMD4A gene (10p13) have been found to segregate with this disorder in a large consanguineous Bedouin kindred.

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No treatment has been reported.

References
Article Title: 

Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome, Type 4

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

The ocular features of this syndrome are similar to types 1-3 and primarily involve the anterior segment.  The iris stroma is hypoplastic and the pupil location may be eccentric.  Full thickness defects in the iris can lead to pseudopolycoria.   There may be anterior displacement of the angle structures with posterior embryotoxon and localized corneal opacification.    Glaucoma is a common feature and it may be present in early childhood, associated with tearing, a hazy cornea, and buphthalmos.  Vitreous condensation was noted in all 4 reported individuals.

Systemic Features: 

The midface is flat due to maxillary underdevelopment and the teeth may be abnormally small.  Micrognathia has been reported while the nasal root is abnormally broad.  The umbilical defect consists of redundant skin that failed to involute normally.  Congenital hip anomalies of undetermined nature and a hearing defect were reported in 2 of 4 individuals.

Genetics

Heterozygous mutations in the PRDM5 gene (4q25-q26) are responsible for this condition.  Mutations in CYP1b1, PITX2, and FOXC1 were not present.  One extended pedigree with 4 affected individuals from Pakistan has been reported. 

Type 1 Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome (180500) results from heterozygous mutations in PITX2RIEG2 (601499) from heterozygous mutations in 13q14, and RIEG3 (602482) from heterozygous mutations in the FOXC1 gene.  Thus in three types of Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome (1,3, and 4) the responsible mutation occurs in a transcription factor gene which may explain why the phenotype is highly variable with considerable overlap in clinical signs.

Autosomal recessive brittle cornea syndrome type 2 (614170) is also caused by mutations in the PRDM5 gene. 

Pedigree: 
Autosomal dominant
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

Treatment is directed at correction of individual problems such as glaucoma and dental anomalies.  One patient required surgery for a retinal detachment. Lifelong ocular monitoring is recommended. 

References
Article Title: 

Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome, Type 1

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome consists of a heterogeneous group of disorders with overlapping features.  Common to all types are the presence of ocular, dental, facial, skeletal abnormalities and autosomal dominant inheritance.  Anterior chamber dysgenesis of some form is universally present and severe glaucoma occurs in 50% of patients.  This may have its onset in childhood with typical symptoms of congenital glaucoma such as photophobia, excessive tearing and corneal clouding.  Hypoplasia of the iris is common and when progressive may result in an ectopic pupil and/or pseudopolycoria.  Iris insertion and Schwalbe's line are often anteriorly displaced with iridocorneal adhesions, a pattern that leads to the inclusion of this disorder among those with iridogoniodysgenesis or anterior chamber dysgenesis.  Pupillary ectropion of the posterior pigmented layer of the iris may be seen.

There is considerable clinical overlap among conditions with iris dysgenesis.  Some patients with typical systemic features of Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome may even have typical anterior chamber features of Axenfeld-Rieger anomaly in one eye and severe iris hypoplasia resembling aniridia in the other.

Systemic Features: 

Dental anomalies and mid-facial hypoplasia secondary to underdeveloped maxillary sinuses are among the most common systemic features in type 1.  The nasal root often appears abnormally broad and the lower lip appears to protrude. The teeth are frequently small and conical in shape with wide spaces between them (diastema).  Some teeth may be missing.  The umbilicus may fail to involute normally and retains excessive, redundant skin that sometimes leads to the erroneous diagnosis of an umbilical hernia for which unnecessary surgery may be performed.  Hypospadius is frequently present while cardiac defects, sensorineural deafness, and anal stenosis are less common.

Genetics

There is clinical and genetic heterogeneity in this syndrome and precise classification of many families remains elusive without knowing the genotype.  Mutations in at least four genes are responsible and all are are responsible for phenotypes transmitted in autosomal dominant patterns.  Type 1 discussed here is caused by a mutation in the homeobox transcription factor gene, PITX2, located at 4q25-q26.  A type of iris hypoplasia (IH)/iridogoniodysgenesis (IGDS) (IRID2; 137600) disorder has been classified separately but is caused by a mutation in PITX2 as well and many cases have the same systemic features.  Mutations in the same gene have also been found in ring dermoid of the cornea (180550) and in some cases of Peters anomaly (604229).

RIEG2 (601499) is rare but a deletion of 13q14 has been reported in several cases.  Mapping in a large family with 11 affected individuals yielded a locus in the same region.  Clinical signs overlap types 1 and 3 with dental, craniofacial, and ocular features, but with hearing impairment and rare umbilical anomalies.

Mutations in the FOXC1 gene (6p25) may be responsible for RIEG3 (602482).  However, a family has been reported with a severe 'Axenfeld-Rieger phenotype' in which a digenic etiology may have been responsible: patients had mutations in both FOXC1 and PITX2

Heterozygous mutations in the PRDM5 gene (4q25-q26) have been identified in 4 members of a Pakistani family with typical features of the Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome. It is labeled type 4 Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome in this database. 

Pedigree: 
Autosomal dominant
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

The presence of glaucoma requires prompt and vigorous treatment but control is difficult with blindness too often the result.  Oral surgery may be beneficial for dental problems.  Low vision aids can be useful.

References
Article Title: 

Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome

Seifi M, Walter MA. Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome. Clin Genet. 2017 Oct 3. doi: 10.1111/cge.13148. [Epub ahead of print] Review.

PubMed ID: 
28972279

The Rieger syndrome

Jorgenson RJ, Levin LS, Cross HE, Yoder F, Kelly TE. The Rieger syndrome. Am J Med Genet. 1978;2(3):307-18.

PubMed ID: 
263445
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