Individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) can present with a wide range of features that are highly variable, even within families. The major clinical manifestations of 22q11.2DS include congenital heart disease, particularly conotruncal malformations (ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, interrupted aortic arch, and truncus arteriosus), palatal abnormalities (velopharyngeal incompetence, submucosal cleft palate, bifid uvula, and cleft palate), immune deficiency, characteristic facial features, and learning difficulties. Hearing loss can be sensorineural and/or conductive. Laryngotracheoesophageal, gastrointestinal, ophthalmologic, central nervous system, skeletal, and genitourinary anomalies also occur. Psychiatric illness and autoimmune disorders are more common in individuals with 22q11.2DS.

Anterior segment dysgeneses (ASGD or ASMD) are a heterogeneous group of developmental disorders affecting the anterior segment of the eye, including the cornea, iris, lens, trabecular meshwork, and Schlemm canal. The clinical features of ASGD include iris hypoplasia, an enlarged or reduced corneal diameter, corneal vascularization and opacity, posterior embryotoxon, corectopia, polycoria, an abnormal iridocorneal angle, ectopia lentis, and anterior synechiae between the iris and posterior corneal surface (summary by Cheong et al., 2016). Anterior segment dysgenesis is sometimes divided into subtypes including aniridia (see 106210), Axenfeld and Rieger anomalies, iridogoniodysgenesis, Peters anomaly, and posterior embryotoxon (Gould and John, 2002). Patients with ASGD5 have been reported with the Peters anomaly, Axenfeld anomaly, and Rieger anomaly subtypes. Peters anomaly consists of a central corneal leukoma, absence of the posterior corneal stroma and Descemet membrane, and a variable degree of iris and lenticular attachments to the central aspect of the posterior cornea (Peters, 1906). It occurs as an isolated ocular abnormality or in association with other ocular defects. In Axenfeld anomaly, strands of iris tissue attach to the Schwalbe line; in Rieger anomaly, in addition to the attachment of iris tissue to the Schwalbe line, there is clinically evident iris stromal atrophy with hole or pseudo-hole formation and corectopia (summary by Smith and Traboulsi, 2012).

Encephalocraniocutaneous lipomatosis (ECCL) comprises a spectrum of predominantly congenital anomalies. In its typical form, ECCL is characterized by congenital anomalies of the skin (nevus psiloliparus, patchy or streaky non-scarring alopecia, subcutaneous lipomas in the frontotemporal region, focal skin aplasia or hypoplasia on the scalp, and/or small nodular skin tags on the eyelids or between the outer canthus and tragus), eye (choristoma), and brain (in particular intracranial and spinal lipomas). To a much lesser degree, the bones and the heart can be affected. About 40% of affected individuals have bilateral abnormalities of the skin or the eyes. About one third of affected individuals have normal cognitive development, another one third have mild developmental delay (DD) or intellectual disability (ID), and the final one third have severe or unspecified DD/ID. Half of individuals have seizures. Affected individuals are at an increased (i.e., above the general population) risk of developing brain tumors, particularly low-grade gliomas such as pilocytic astrocytomas. There is evidence that oculoectodermal syndrome (OES) may constitute a clinical spectrum with ECCL, with OES on the mild end and ECCL on the more severe end of the spectrum.

Microphthalmia with linear skin defects (MLS) syndrome is characterized by unilateral or bilateral microphthalmia and/or anophthalmia and linear skin defects, usually involving the face and neck, which are present at birth and heal with age, leaving minimal residual scarring. Other findings can include a wide variety of other ocular abnormalities (e.g., corneal anomalies, orbital cysts, cataracts), central nervous system involvement (e.g., structural anomalies, developmental delay, infantile seizures), cardiac concerns (e.g., hypertrophic or oncocytic cardiomyopathy, atrial or ventricular septal defects, arrhythmias), short stature, diaphragmatic hernia, nail dystrophy, hearing impairment, and genitourinary malformations. Inter- and intrafamilial variability is described.

Van den Ende-Gupta syndrome (VDEGS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by severe contractual arachnodactyly from birth and distinctive facial dysmorphism, including triangular face, malar hypoplasia, narrow nose, everted lips, and blepharophimosis. Skeletal anomalies include slender ribs, hooked clavicles, and dislocated radial head. There is no neurologic involvement (summary by Patel et al., 2014).

Al-Gazali syndrome (ALGAZ) is characterized by prenatal growth retardation, skeletal anomalies including joint contractures, camptodactyly, and bilateral talipes equinovarus, small mouth, anterior segment eye anomalies, and early lethality (summary by Ben-Mahmoud et al., 2018).

A rare multiple congenital anomalies/dysmorphic syndrome characterized by intellectual disability, severe visual impairment due to ocular malformations (microphthalmos and microcornea with sclerocornea), short stature, hypotrichosis, dental anomalies, and dysmorphic facial features (such as a narrow nasal bridge with marked distal flaring and low-set, protruding ears). There have been no further descriptions in the literature since 1992.

Anterior segment dysgeneses are a heterogeneous group of developmental disorders affecting the anterior segment of the eye, including the cornea, iris, lens, trabecular meshwork, and Schlemm canal. The clinical features of ASGD include iris hypoplasia, an enlarged or reduced corneal diameter, corneal vascularization and opacity, posterior embryotoxon, corectopia, polycoria, an abnormal iridocorneal angle, ectopia lentis, and anterior synechiae between the iris and posterior corneal surface (summary by Cheong et al., 2016). Anterior segment dysgenesis is sometimes divided into subtypes, including aniridia (see 106210), Axenfeld and Rieger anomalies, iridogoniodysgenesis, Peters anomaly, and posterior embryotoxon (Gould and John, 2002). Some patients with ASGD2 have been reported with a congenital primary aphakia subtype. Congenital primary aphakia is a rare developmental disorder characterized by absence of the lens, the development of which is normally induced during the fourth to fifth week of human embryogenesis. This original failure leads, in turn, to complete aplasia of the anterior segment of the eye, which is the diagnostic histologic criterion for CPAK. In contrast, in secondary aphakia, lens induction occurs and the lens vesicle develops to some degree, but is progressively resorbed perinatally, resulting in less severe ocular defects (summary by Valleix et al., 2006).

Stromme syndrome is an autosomal recessive congenital disorder affecting multiple systems with features of a ciliopathy. Affected individuals typically have some type of intestinal atresia, variable ocular abnormalities, microcephaly, and sometimes involvement of other systems, including renal and cardiac. In some cases, the condition is lethal in early life, whereas other patients show normal survival with or without mild cognitive impairment (summary by Filges et al., 2016).

Cornea plana is clinically characterized by reduced corneal curvature leading in most cases to hyperopia, hazy corneal limbus, and arcus lipoides at an early age. CNA2 is a severe form of the disorder, which is frequently associated with additional ocular manifestations (summary by Tahvanainen et al., 1996). For discussion of genetic heterogeneity of CNA, see CNA1 (121400).

Yunis-Varon syndrome (YVS) is a severe autosomal recessive disorder characterized by skeletal defects, including cleidocranial dysplasia and digital anomalies, and severe neurologic involvement with neuronal loss. Enlarged cytoplasmic vacuoles are found in neurons, muscle, and cartilage. The disorder is usually lethal in infancy (summary by Campeau et al., 2013).

The phenotypic spectrum of SOX2 disorder includes anophthalmia and/or microphthalmia, brain malformations, developmental delay / intellectual disability, esophageal atresia, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (manifest as cryptorchidism and micropenis in males, gonadal dysgenesis infrequently in females, and delayed puberty in both sexes), pituitary hypoplasia, postnatal growth delay, hypotonia, seizures, and spastic or dystonic movements.

This syndrome has characteristics of anophthalmia or microphthalmia, retinal dystrophy, and/or myopia, associated in some cases with cerebral anomalies. It has been described in two families. Polydactyly may also be present. Linkage analysis allowed identification of mutations in the BMP4 gene, which has already been shown to play a role in eye development.

Oculoauricular syndrome (OCACS) is characterized by complex ocular anomalies, including congenital cataract, anterior segment dysgenesis, iris coloboma, and early-onset retinal dystrophy, and dysplastic ears with abnormal external ear cartilage (summary by Gillespie et al., 2015).

Anterior segment dysgeneses (ASGD or ASMD) are a heterogeneous group of developmental disorders affecting the anterior segment of the eye, including the cornea, iris, lens, trabecular meshwork, and Schlemm canal. The clinical features of ASGD include iris hypoplasia, an enlarged or reduced corneal diameter, corneal vascularization and opacity, posterior embryotoxon, corectopia, polycoria, an abnormal iridocorneal angle, ectopia lentis, and anterior synechiae between the iris and posterior corneal surface (summary by Cheong et al., 2016). In sclerocornea there is congenital, nonprogressive corneal opacification that may be peripheral, sectoral, or central in location. Visual prognosis is related to the central corneal involvement. The cornea has a flat curvature. The majority of cases are bilateral (summary by Smith and Traboulsi, 2012). Isolated sclerocornea is caused by displacement of the limbal arcades and may be associated with cornea plana; in this condition, the anterior chamber is visible and the eye is not microphthalmic. In complex sclerocornea, however, corneal opacification is associated with microphthalmia, cataract, and/or infantile glaucoma. The central cornea is usually relatively clear, but the thickness is normal or increased, never reduced (summary by Nischal, 2007).

Brittle cornea syndrome (BCS) is characterized by blue sclerae, corneal rupture after minor trauma, keratoconus or keratoglobus, hyperelasticity of the skin, and hypermobility of the joints (Al-Hussain et al., 2004). It is classified as a form of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (Malfait et al., 2017). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of brittle cornea syndrome, see BCS1 (229200).

The chromosome 8q21.11 deletion syndrome is characterized by impaired intellectual development and common facial dysmorphic features (summary by Palomares et al., 2011).

MCOPCB9 is characterized by microphthalmia and coloboma (Aldahmesh et al., 2012). MCOPS15 is characterized by microphthalmia and/or coloboma, with developmental delay in which speech appears to be more severely affected than motor abilities. Additional ocular anomalies that have been observed include ptosis, keyhole-shaped pupils, microcornea, sclerocornea, and anterior segment dysgenesis (Chassaing et al., 2016; Stephen et al., 2018; Singh et al., 2019). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of colobomatous microphthalmia, see MCOPCB1 (300345). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of syndromic microphthalmia, see MCOPS1 (309800).

Colobomatous microphthalmia-rhizomelic dysplasia syndrome is a rare, genetic developmental defect during embryogenesis characterized by a range of developmental eye anomalies (including anophthalmia, microphthalmia, colobomas, microcornea, corectopia, cataract) and symmetric limb rhizomelia with short stature and contractures of large joints. Intellectual disability with autistic features, macrocephaly, dysmorphic features, urogenital anomalies (hypospadia, cryptorchidism), cutaneous syndactyly and precocious puberty may also be present.

Microphthalmia with linear skin defects (MLS) syndrome is characterized by unilateral or bilateral microphthalmia and/or anophthalmia and linear skin defects, usually involving the face and neck, which are present at birth and heal with age, leaving minimal residual scarring. Other findings can include a wide variety of other ocular abnormalities (e.g., corneal anomalies, orbital cysts, cataracts), central nervous system involvement (e.g., structural anomalies, developmental delay, infantile seizures), cardiac concerns (e.g., hypertrophic or oncocytic cardiomyopathy, atrial or ventricular septal defects, arrhythmias), short stature, diaphragmatic hernia, nail dystrophy, hearing impairment, and genitourinary malformations. Inter- and intrafamilial variability is described.

Neurocardiofaciodigital syndrome (NCFD) is characterized by severe developmental delay, variable brain anomalies, congenital heart defects, dysmorphic facial features, and a distinctive type of synpolydactyly with a supernumerary hypoplastic digit between the fourth and fifth digits of the hands and/or feet. Other features include eye abnormalities, hearing impairment, and electroencephalogram anomalies (summary by Horn et al., 2021).

Syndromic microphthalmia-16 (MCOPS16) is characterized by bilateral severe microphthalmia or anophthalmia with variable presence of midline defects, including cleft lip and palate, absence of frontal and/or sphenoidal sinuses, and absent pituitary gland. Some patients exhibit developmental delay and intellectual disability or autism (Voronina et al., 2004; Abouzeid et al., 2012; Chassaing et al., 2014; Brachet et al., 2019). For discussion of the genetic heterogeneity of syndromic microphthalmia, see MCOPS1 (309800).