lid colobomas

Roberts Syndrome

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

The eyes often appear prominent as the result of shallow orbits.  Hypertelorism and microphthalmia can be present.  The sclerae can have a bluish hue.   Cataracts and central corneal clouding plus scleralization and vascularization of the peripheral corneas are sometimes seen.  Lid colobomas and down-slanting palpebral fissures may be present.

Systemic Features: 

Failure of both membranous and long bones to grow properly lead to a variety of abnormalities such as craniosynostosis, hypomelia, syndactyly, oligodactyly, malar hypoplasia, short neck, micrognathia, and cleft lip and palate.  The long bones of the limbs may be underdeveloped or even absent.  Contractures of elbow, knee, and ankle joints are common as are digital anomalies.  Low birth weight and slow postnatal growth rates are usually result in short stature.  The hair is often sparse and light-colored. 

Mental development is impaired and some children are diagnosed to have mental retardation.  Cardiac defects are common.  Facial hemangiomas are often present as are septal defects and sometimes a patent ductus arteriosus.  External genitalia in both sexes appear enlarged.  The kidneys may be polycystic or horseshoe-shaped.

Genetics

This is an autosomal recessive condition caused by mutations in the ESCO2 gene (8p21.1).  Mutations in the same gene are also responsible for what some have called the SC phocomelia syndrome (269000) which has a similar but less severe phenotype.  Some consider the two disorders to be variants of the same condition and they are considered to be the same entity in this database.  The gene product is required for structural maintenance of centromeric cohesion during the cell cycle.  Microscopic anomalies of the centromeric region (puffing of the heterochromatic regions) are sometimes seen during cell division.

The Baller-Gerold syndrome (218600) has some phenotypic overlap with Roberts syndrome but is caused by mutations in a different gene (RECQL4).

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

Severely affected infants may be stillborn or die in infancy.  Other individuals live to adulthood.  There is no treatment for this condition beyond specific correction of individual anomalies.

References
Article Title: 

Gorlin-Chaudhry-Moss Syndrome

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Orbital hypoplasia, short, abnormally slanted (up or down) lid fissures, and sometimes lid notching (colobomas?) are characteristic facial features as are bushy eyebrows and synophrys.  Lacrimal duct stenosis has been noted.  The eyes are described as 'small' but no ophthalmological examination has been performed to document microphthalmia or other ocular anomalies.  No mention is made of visual problems.

Systemic Features: 

Premature closure of the coronal suture and midface hypoplasia lead to striking brachycephaly.  The scalp hairline is low and scalp hair is abundant and coarse.  In fact, hypertrichosis is seen throughout the body.  Hypo- and microdontia with irregularly spaced teeth and a high arched palate are common features.  Clefts of the soft palate has been observed.  The ears can be small and rotated posteriorly.  The labia majora are hypoplastic as are the distal phalanges of the fingers and toes.  Mild syndactyly of the second and third fingers and toes have been described.  The nails may be abormally small.  Conductive hearing loss may be present.  Growth and psychomotor development seem to be normal although some patients have been described to have a 'stocky' build.  The facial features tend to coarsen over time.

Genetics

Autosomal recessive inheritance has been suggested but nothing is known about the gene locus.  All 5 reported patients have been female.

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No treatment is known.

References
Article Title: 
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