Ocular anomalies in the oral-facial-digital syndrome

Oro-facial-digital syndrome IX with severe microcephaly: a new variant in a genetically isolated population

We describe four patients, two pairs of siblings, with a somewhat unique oro-facial-digital syndrome. The siblings come from the Navajo population which has undergone several genetic "bottlenecks." Thus, as would be anticipated, this syndrome seems to show autosomal recessive inheritance. The combination of the presence of retinal colobomata and the paucity of digital findings in these patients leads us to believe that their condition is best described as a variant of oro-facial-digital syndrome IX. In addition to retinal colobomata, these patients also show severe microcephaly, mental retardation and short stature.

Oral-facial-digital syndrome type IX in a patient with Dandy-Walker malformation

We report a girl with oral, facial, and digital anomalies including multiple alveolar frenula, lobulated tongue with nodules, a posterior cleft palate, hypertelorism, a prominent forehead with a large anterior fontanelle, and postaxial polydactyly in both hands and the right foot, features compatible with the oral-facial-digital syndrome (OFDS). In addition, she had bilateral microphthalmia, optic disc coloboma, and retinal degeneration with partial detachment, thus establishing a diagnosis of OFDS type IX. Dandy-Walker malformation and retrobulbar cysts were observed on MRI. These additional malformations have not been reported in OFDS type IX. The frequent apnoeic spells which occurred immediately after birth were relieved after cystoperitoneal shunt implantation for hydrocephalus. Considering our case and previous reports of OFDS type IX, including two male sibs, a boy born to consanguineous parents, and three females, inheritance is probably autosomal recessive.