Fryns "Anophthalmia-Plus" syndrome associated with developmental regression

Tessier 3 and 4 Clefts and Choanal Atresia: An Unusual Association?

INTRODUCTION

Craniofacial clefts are rare congenital anomalies that might involve both soft tissue and skeletal components. The association of Tessier cleft number 3 and 4 with choanal atresia appears to be unusual and only few clinical cases have been reported in published literature.

OBJECTIVES

Report a series of 13 cases of choanal atresia in patients with Tessier numbers 3 or 4 clefts and the literature review on this topic.

METHODS

A literature review was undertaken via PUBMED database before April 2020 addressing the association between Tessier numbers 3 or 4 clefts and choanal atresia. Retrospective chart review of patients diagnosed with both comorbidities at a tertiary hospital expertised in craniofacial anomalies.

RESULTS

Literature review yielded 10 studies describing the relationship between choanal atresia and Tessier 3 and 4 facial clefts. We identified 98 patients diagnosed with medial oro-ocular facial clefts (Tessier 3 and 4) and 119 with choanal atresia at our institution over a 20 years time period. Altogether, 13 individuals were diagnosed with both malformations, 3 patients with number 3 cleft, and 10 patients with number 4 cleft. It represents 13.26% of the cases.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the features of Tessier 3 and 4 facial clefts associated with choanal atresia. Although the publications regarding this association are very scarce, the authors present the largest series of cases of Tessier number 3 and 4 clefts with choanal atresia showing that association between these conditions could be not so unusual.

Fryns anophthalmia-plus syndrome in an 18-week-old fetus

Fryns anophthalmia-plus syndrome is a very rare condition initially described by Fryns and colleagues in 1995 in a pair of siblings of nonconsanguineous parents. Since that time, only a few cases have been reported, most of them in newborns and young children. Clinical presentation is variable and includes anophthalmia/microphthalmia, cleft lip/palate, and other facial deformities. Furthermore, skeletal, central nervous system, and endocrine anomalies have been described. We report the case of a male fetus of 18 weeks of gestation with normal karyotype and findings matching Fryns anophthalmia-plus syndrome. Pregnancy was terminated because of sonographically proven facial midline defects and a marked cerebral ventriculomegaly. Macroscopic and histological findings obtained at autopsy showed extreme bilateral microphthalmia, unilateral cleft palate, unilateral nasal deformity, and low-set ears. Skeletal anomalies included 13 pairs of ribs, premature ossification of the calcaneus, and talipes.

Anophthalmia, cleft lip/palate, absent vomer bone, nystagmus, and mental-motor retardation: a new syndrome or Fryns "anophthalmia-plus" syndrome?

OBJECTIVE

We report that a 4-year-old boy presented with right unilateral complete cleft lip and palate, right anophthalmos, left congenital nystagmus, absence of the vomer bone, mental-motor retardation, and normal lymphocyte karyotype (46, XY).

METHODS

For reconstruction of the deformities, we performed cleft lip repair by Millard's rotation-advancement technique and planned cleft palate repair.

CONCLUSIONS

This combination of cleft lip and palate, anophthalmos, congenital nystagmus, absent vomer bone, and mental-motor retardation has not, to our knowledge, previously been described. We suggest that this represents either another case of the rare Fryns "anophthalmia-plus" syndrome or a new syndrome.

Anophthalmia-plus syndrome: a clinical report and review of the literature

We describe a term male infant of healthy non-consanguineous parents, born with congenital malformations, including bilateral cleft palate and lip, mild microphthalmia with iris coloboma and glaucoma of the right eye, and blepharophimosis with severe microphthalmia of the left eye. Spine radiograph and MRI showed first sacral hemivertebra with spina bifida, and agenesis of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th sacral vertebrae and coccyx. Spine MRI showed caudal tethering of spinal cord at L(3) level, filum terminalis lipoma and a syringomyelia. Brain ultrasound and MRI showed hypoplasia of corpus callosum with mild dilatation of the lateral ventricles. Orbital MRI showed bilateral microphthalmia-distorted small left eyeball with posteriorly located lens, and a split vitreous body in the right eye, suggestive of primary hyperplastic vitreous. The karyotype was normal. Summary of the findings in nine cases (our case and eight published cases) support the notion that anophthalmia-plus syndrome (APS) is a distinct syndrome. Gene locus of APS is yet to be identified.