[Partial trisomy of the long arm of the chromosome no. 6 (author's transl)]

The clinical features of a new chromosomal syndrome are described. The patient, a 10(9)/12 years old girl, presents a marked psychomotor retardation with short stature, microcephaly, myopia, alterations in dermatoglyphics, and some other dysmorphic signs.

Dominant inheritance of multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, myopia and deafness

An Afrikaner kindred in South Africa had a dominantly inherited skeletal dysplasia-blindness-deafness syndrome. The affected individuals had reduced stature and a round, flattened facies. The bone changes resembled multiple epiphyseal dysplasia with additional minor abnormalities in the phalanges, femoral heads and spine. Progressive myopia, retinal thinning and crenated cataracts led to visual disturbance, while conductive deafness represented the third component of the triad. The syndromic significance of associated asteroid hyalosis is uncertain.

Refraction in premature babies: a prospective study

Refraction in 67 premature babies was examined and followed during seven years. There was continuous changing of refraction towards emmetropia in all refraction groups. Fifty-four percent of myopic eyes remained myopic at the age of seven years but in all the eyes myopia was of lower degree than at birth. In our series there was no relationship between myopia and RLF.

The Stickler syndrome (hereditary arthro-ophthalmopathy)

Three patients with Stickler syndrome are reported. Two of the patients were found among the 26 children attending a special pre-school for the visually impaired. One of the patients had bilateral choanal atresia which may represent an extreme example of the mid-facial hypoplasia commonly seen in these patients. It appears that Stickler syndrome may not be as rare as previously thought.

Hereditary arthro-ophthalmopathy (the Stickler syndrome). Report of a kindred with protrusio acetabuli

Hereditary Arthro-ophthalmopathy (The Stickler Syndrome) is a relatively common dominantly inherited disorder of connective tissue. A wide range of musculoskeletal involvement occurs including marfanoid habitus, kyphosis, scoliosis, slipped epiphyses, joint laxity and degenerative arthritis. Congenital myopia and micrognathia are the most characteristic non-skeletal features. An affected family is reported who also exhibit protrusio acetabuli. It is important to recognize this syndrome for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

[On the clinical picture of Handmann's anomaly of the optic nerve Morning glory syndrome? (author's transl)]

The author reports on the case of a 20-year-old patient who shows the characteristic changes of the central vessels, described by Handmann in 1929 to be a "herditary degeneration - ppresumably congenital and glial - of the optic nerve in which the central vessels are particularly involved". The optic papilla of about normal size is surrounded here by a slightly protruding ridge, which shows separate pigmentary sediments on its edge. The retinal vessels arise out of the depth in increased number on the edge of the papilla. An excavation of the papilla cannot be seen. In its place a whitish-yellow mass surrounded by grayish-pink colored tissue is evident, which obstructs the view into the deeper layers. Kinkler described very similar cases in 1970 and named the characteristic changes "morning glory syndrome". However, in the cases he described, the papillas were apparently greatley enlarged. In addition to the changes in the papillary area and the vessel structure in our case, there are definite changes in the macula (on both sides). Due to the conspicuous distribution of vessels within the papillary region in the father of the patient, similar to those found in Handmann's anomaly of the nerve, the author believes that he can safely assume a developmental disturbance of the origin of the retinal vessels of the papillary area in this case also and that therefore a hereditary component of this developmental disturbance could be described for the first time since Handmann in 1929. In the kin which the author examined, a further apparently familial renal hypoplasia was noted.

Acquired myopia in 11-year-old children

Children who had acquired myopia by the age of 11 years were identified from a nationally representative sample. There were no overall sex differences in its occurrence but myopia was more common in children from non-manual families than in those from manual families. Short-sighted children were more likely to come from small families and to be of higher birth order than children with normal vision, and these associations held within each social class. At 11 years myopic children showed striking advantages in educational performance over their normal-sighted peers, as judged by tests of reading, arithmetic, and general ability. After adjustments had been made for social background, this age gain still amounted to over one year. Findings obtained at 7 years of age showed that superior educational attainments were already apparent before the onset of myopia. Children with myopia read in their leisure time more often than normally sighted children, but despite the visual impairment, they participated in outdoor sports as often as other children.

Lens correction of infantile myopia in identical twins: a case report

Spectacles were prescribed for 5-year-old identical twins with similar high, uncorrected, isometropic myopia. One received the full correction, and the other was undercorrected by 4 D. The fully corrected subject was a constant esotrope at distance and near; the undercorrected subject exhibited exotropia at near only. Evaluations over a 5-month period indicated that the full correction was the treatment of choice.

Myopia--a treatable "disease"?

The authors cite various information and misinformation regarding proposed treatments (atropinization, contact lenses, orthokeratology, wearing glasses, not wearing glasses) for the progression of myopia. They conclude that there is insufficient evidence to support the more vigorous approaches to treatment of myopia, and provide some useful explantations for patients and their parents who question the ophthalmologist's decision to treat conservatively.

Ectopia lentis et pupillae

Two brothers had ectopia lentis et pupillae, an autosomal recessive disorder. Ascertainment of the brothers occurred through an unaffected sister, who sought genetic advice concerning possible risk for the disorder in her future children. Although the clinical features and the genetic aspects of ectopia lentis et pupillae are well documented in the older ophthalmologic literature, this entity has received relatively little attention recently in major reference texts.

Dislocation of the hip in birth defects

Several heritable disorders--although rare--are reviewed that are directly or indirectly related to dislocation of the hip. With the ever increasing list of clinical syndromes and our growing understanding of genetics, the physician who first sees these patients should broaden his views to identify these conditions and establish the diagnosis. The effectiveness of treatment often depends upon such knowledge.

A monozygotic cotwin control study of a treatment for myopia

Myopia is the world's most common cause of defective vision. The role of controlled accommodation on the progress of myopia is unsettled. This cotwin control study is designed to provide a careful appraisal of the effectiveness of a clinically acceptable method of controlling accommodation. There are no previous reports of similar prospective studies among MZ twins. Expansion of such studies would be aided by collaboration among interested investigators.

Genetic factors in myopia

A school population has been screened to locate same-sexed twins with myopia and also to compare intelligence test performance of myopic and nonmyopic individuals. Augmentation of the twin data by a survey of the world literature has led to the identification of a total of 106 MZ twin pairs, 100 of them concordant for myopia, as well as 41 DZ pairs, 12 concordant. Myopic students score eight points higher on IQ tests than nonmyopes, the entire bell shaped distribution curve being shifted to a higher range. The intellectual gain precedes in time the development of nearsightedness.

The Stickler syndrome presenting as a dominantly inherited cleft palate and blindness

The Stickler syndrome is a newly recognized, but probably relatively frequent inherited generalized connective tissue disorder involving skeleton, eye, and oro-facial structures. A family with three affected generations is discussed. Severe myopia leading to blindness, cleft palate, or subnucous cleft, Pierre Robin anomaly, premature degenerative arthritis, or a family history of any of these indicates further evaluation.