MedGen

A developmental anomaly characterized by abnormal smallness of both eyes. [from HPO]

Microphthalmia is an eye abnormality that arises before birth. In this condition, one or both eyeballs are abnormally small. In some affected individuals, the eyeball may appear to be completely missing; however, even in these cases some remaining eye tissue is generally present. Such severe microphthalmia should be distinguished from another condition called anophthalmia, in which no eyeball forms at all. However, the terms anophthalmia and severe microphthalmia are often used interchangeably. Microphthalmia may or may not result in significant vision loss.

People with microphthalmia may also have a condition called coloboma. Colobomas are missing pieces of tissue in structures that form the eye. They may appear as notches or gaps in the colored part of the eye called the iris; the retina, which is the specialized light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye; the blood vessel layer under the retina called the choroid; or in the optic nerves, which carry information from the eyes to the brain. Colobomas may be present in one or both eyes and, depending on their size and location, can affect a person's vision.

People with microphthalmia may also have other eye abnormalities, including clouding of the lens of the eye (cataract) and a narrowed opening of the eye (narrowed palpebral fissure). Additionally, affected individuals may have an abnormality called microcornea, in which the clear front covering of the eye (cornea) is small and abnormally curved.

Between one-third and one-half of affected individuals have microphthalmia as part of a syndrome that affects other organs and tissues in the body. These forms of the condition are described as syndromic. When microphthalmia occurs by itself, it is described as nonsyndromic or isolated. [from MedlinePlus Genetics]

Intellectual disability, previously referred to as mental retardation, is characterized by subnormal intellectual functioning that occurs during the developmental period. It is defined by an IQ score below 70. [from HPO]

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). [from OMIM]

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). Some patients with ASGD1 have been reported with the Peters anomaly subtype. In its simplest form, Peters anomaly involves a central corneal opacity, but it may also involve adherent iris strands. Some patients have keratolenticular content or cataract. The underlying defects in this form of congenital corneal opacity reside in the posterior stroma, Descemet membrane, and corneal endothelium. The disorder results from abnormal migration or function of neural crest cells and may include abnormalities of other anterior segment structures, such as the lens and iris (summary by Withers et al., 1999). [from OMIM]

A height below that which is expected according to age and gender norms. Although there is no universally accepted definition of short stature, many refer to "short stature" as height more than 2 standard deviations below the mean for age and gender (or below the 3rd percentile for age and gender dependent norms). [from HPO]

A reduction of corneal clarity. [from HPO]

A non-neoplastic or neoplastic disorder that affects the eye. Representative examples include conjunctivitis, glaucoma, cataract, conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma, uveal melanoma, and retinoblastoma. [from NCI]

A disorder of the eye that is present at birth. Representative examples include congenital cataract, congenital glaucoma, and astigmatism. [from NCI]

A non-neoplastic or neoplastic disorder that affects the cornea. Representative examples include keratitis, bullous keratopathy, and squamous cell carcinoma. [from NCI]

A severe form of microphthalmia with characteristics of a small eye with a short axial length, severe hyperopia, an elevated lens/eye ratio, and a high incidence of angle-closure glaucoma. Nanophthalmia is generally bilateral. Strabism is present in most patients. Mutations in the MFRP gene (11q23.1) have been found to be responsible for the hereditary form with recessive transmission. Chromosomal anomalies involving chromosome 11p and 2q11-14 have been identified for autosomal dominant forms of nanophthalmia. It may be inherited as an autosomal dominant or recessive trait, or may occur sporadically. [from SNOMEDCT_US]

Any isolated microphthalmia in which the cause of the disease is a mutation in the GDF6 gene. [from MONDO]

Primary hypoalphalipoproteinemia-2 is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by dysfunctional apoA-I production, resulting in undetectable levels of apoA-I in serum and in markedly low levels of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The disorder is associated with extensive atherosclerosis, xanthomas, and corneal opacities (summary by Tanaka et al., 2018). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of primary hypoalphalipoproteinemia, see 604091. [from OMIM]

Intellectual developmental disorder with neuropsychiatric features is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by moderate intellectual disability, relatively mild seizures, and neuropsychiatric abnormalities, such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and autistic features. Mild facial dysmorphic features may also be present (summary by Srour et al., 2017). [from OMIM]