A 24-year-Old Male with Marden-Walker Syndrome and Epilepsy: Case Report.

We report a 24-year-old male with blepharophimosis, psychomotor retardation, brachycephaly, microstomia, immobile face, high arched palate, single palmar crease, kyphoscoliosis, talipes equinovarus, inguinal hernia, pyloric stenosis, recurrent infections, bilateral camptodactyly, wide-set eyes, decreased muscle mass, hypotonia, exotropia, and ptosis in the left eye, growth retardation, multiple congenital contractures, and hyporreflexia. Contractures improved with aging, but intellectual disability and blepharophimosis remained. He also presented epilepsy, outbursts of laughter, and predisposition to drug adverse effects (skin lesions with carbamazepine and secondary parkinsonism).

Clinical characterization and identification of five novel FOXL2 pathogenic variants in a cohort of 12 Mexican subjects with the syndrome of blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus.

Blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES) is an autosomal dominant entity characterized by eyelid malformations and caused by mutations in the forkhead box L2 (FOXL2) gene. Clinical and genetic analyses of large cohorts of BPES patients from different ethnic origins are important for a better characterization of FOXL2 mutational landscape. The purpose of this study is to describe the phenotypic features and the causal FOXL2 variants in a Mexican cohort of BPES patients. A total of 12 individuals with typical facial findings were included. Clinical evaluation included palpebral measurements and levator function assessment. The complete coding sequence of FOXL2 was amplified by PCR and subsequently analyzed by Sanger sequencing. A total of 11 distinct FOXL2 pathogenic variants were identified in our cohort (molecular diagnostic rate of 92%), including 5 novel mutations. Our results broaden the BPES-related mutational spectrum and supports considerable FOXL2 allelic heterogeneity in our population.

Tratamento cirúrgico da ptose palpebral moderada e grave: análise de resultados / Surgical treatment of moderate and severe ptosis: analysis of results

Introdução: A ptose palpebral é uma afecção comum na prática clínica na qual uma perfeita avaliação torna-se mandatória. Definimos ptose quando a margem palpebral encontra-se abaixo de 2 mm da junção córneo escleral e pode ser classificada em leve, moderada e grave. Existem inúmeras técnicas de reparo e a escolha dependerá da classificação da função do músculo levantador. Métodos: Foram analisados de forma prospectiva, no período de março de 2013 a maio de 2015, quatorze (n = 14) pacientes submetidos ao tratamento cirúrgico de ptose palpebral moderada e grave (n = 21). Inúmeros fatores foram estudados, tais como grau de ptose e função do músculo elevador da pálpebra, tipo de técnica de reparo, complicações imediatas e tardias, etc. Resultados: Quatorze pacientes foram opera-dos, totalizando 21 pálpebras, sendo que, 85% foram de etiologia adquirida e 15% congênita. Com relação ao grau de ptose, 64,3% (n = 9) foram moderadas e 35,7% (n = 5) graves. No que tange à função do músculo levantador, encontramos função boa 28,5% (n = 4), moderada 28,5% (n = 4) e pobre 43% (n = 6). Em relação às com-plicações, 2 casos de hiperemia conjutival e um caso de edema. Obtivemos um alto índice de satisfação com 85,7% (n = 12), com baixas taxas de complicações. Conclusão: A ptose palpebral é uma enfermidade comum na prática clínica e exige por parte do cirurgião um perfeito conhecimento anatômico da delicada estrutura palpebral e também de sua fisiopatologia. Uma perfeita avaliação desse paciente torna-se mandatória para o emprego do tratamento mais adequado.

Introduction: Eyelid ptosis is a common condition in clinical practice for which a complete evaluation is mandatory. Ptosis is defined when the eyelid margin is 2 mm below the corneoscleral junction and can be classified as mild, moderate, and severe. There are numerous repair techniques, and the choice will depend on the classification of the function of the levator muscle. Methods: We evaluated prospectively, from March 2013 to May 2015, 14 patients who underwent surgical treatment of moderate and severe ptosis (n = 21). Several factors were studied, such as degree of ptosis and function of the eyelid levator muscle, type of repair technique, and immediate and late complications. Results: Fourteen patients (21 eyelids) underwent operation. The etiology was acquired in 85% of the cases and congenital in 15%. With respect to the degree of ptosis, 64.3% (n = 9) of the cases were moderate and 35.7% (n = 5) were severe. With respect to the muscle function of the levator, good, moderate, and poor functions were observed in 28.5% (n = 4), 28.5% (n = 4), and 43% (n = 6) of the cases, respectively. With regard to complications, 2 cases of conjunctival hyperemia and one case of edema were observed. We obtained a high satisfaction rate of 85.7% (n = 12), with low complication rates. Conclusion: Eyelid ptosis is a common presentation in clinical practice and requires on the part of the surgeon a detailed anatomical knowledge of the delicate structure of the eyelid and its pathophysiology. A complete evaluation of these patients is mandatory for the employment of the most appropriate treatment.

Accidental lacrimal gland removal during resection of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle.

Accidental removal of the lacrimal gland is a rare complication of ptosis surgery. We report two children who underwent large unilateral levator palpebrae superioris resections (LPSr). After surgery, both patients developed dry eye. Post-operatively, the parents of both patients noticed no tears in the affected eye when their child cried. Computed tomography proved the absence of the lacrimal gland in the operated eye in both patients. Oculoplastic surgeons should pay close attention to the anatomy of the levator muscle and its proximity to surrounding tissues in order to avoid lesions on important orbital structures, including the lacrimal gland, and to avoid the development of long-term dry eye.

Accidental lacrimal gland removal during resection of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle / Remoção acidental da glândula lacrimal em cirurgia de ressecção do músculo levantador da pálpebra superior

ABSTRACT Accidental removal of the lacrimal gland is a rare complication of ptosis surgery. We report two children who underwent large unilateral levator palpebrae superioris resections (LPSr). After surgery, both patients developed dry eye. Post-operatively, the parents of both patients noticed no tears in the affected eye when their child cried. Computed tomography proved the absence of the lacrimal gland in the operated eye in both patients. Oculoplastic surgeons should pay close attention to the anatomy of the levator muscle and its proximity to surrounding tissues in order to avoid lesions on important orbital structures, including the lacrimal gland, and to avoid the development of long-term dry eye.

RESUMO A remoção acidental da glândula lacrimal é uma complicação rara da cirurgia de ptose. Relatamos duas crianças que foram submetidas à grandes ressecções unilaterais do músculo levantador da pálpebra superior que desenvolveram olho seco após a cirurgia. No pós-operatório, os pais notaram ausência de secreção lacrimal durante o choro no olho operado. Tomografia computadorizada de órbitas comprovou ausência da glândula lacrimal no olho submetido à cirurgia, em ambos os casos. Cirurgiões oculoplásticos devem estar atentos à anatomia do músculo levantador e estruturas relacionadas para evitar lesões em importantes estruturas orbitais como as da glândula lacrimal que podem induzir permanente olho seco.

Lacrimal Gland Involvement in Blepharophimosis-Ptosis-Epicanthus Inversus Syndrome.

PURPOSE: To describe the involvement of the lacrimal gland (LG) in blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES). DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-one patients with BPES (10 female, 11 male) aged on average 15 years (range, 2-39 years), from 3 Brazilian medical centers and 1 Portuguese medical center. METHODS: Patients had their ocular surface evaluated with slit-lamp biomicroscopy, and tear production quantified with the Schirmer test I. The LG volumes were measured on computed tomography (CT) scans in the BPES sample and in a group of age-matched subjects imaged for nonorbital diseases. Sixteen patients were screened for mutations in the FOXL2 gene. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Lacrimal meniscus height, Schirmer test I, presence of superficial punctate keratopathy (SPK), LG volume, and molecular analysis of the FOXL2 gene. RESULTS: Absence of LG was detected bilaterally in 9 patients (42.8%) and unilaterally in 2 patients (9.5%). When considering only patients with measurable LG, the median volume was 0.22 cm3 in the right eye (range, 0.06-0.36 cm3) and 0.24 cm3 in the left eye (range, 0.08-0.34 cm3). These values were significantly lower than those for the age-matched controls (median = 0.54 right eye and 0.53 left eye; P < 0.05). There was a significant association between deficiency of tear production and LG volume reduction and agenesis. Molecular analysis of the FOXL2 gene revealed the presence of 8 distinct mutations, 4 of them novel ones. A significant reduction of LG size or agenesis was associated with mutations affecting protein size (due to underlying changes in the stop codon location) or the DNA-binding forkhead domain (Fisher exact test, P = 0.021). In 3 probands, the underlying genetic defect was not found. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study reporting LG volumes in BPES, describing a significant number of patients with LG agenesis. The association between alacrima and BPES is not incidental, and a thorough evaluation of tear production is recommended especially if ptosis surgery is planned.

Familia afectada con síndrome de blefarofimosis / A family affected with Blepharophimosis syndrome

El síndrome de blefarofimosis es una enfermedad genética, que se caracteriza por un acortamiento de la hendidura palpebral, o blefarofimosis, asociado en la mayoría de las ocasiones con ptosis y epicanto inverso. La enfermedad se transmite de forma autosómico-dominante, con dos tipos clínicos bien identificados. Se presenta el caso de una familia con tres afectados: el padre y sus dos hijos, remitidos desde la especialidad de oftalmología por ptosis palpebral. Se aplicó el método clínico a través de la técnica comparativa o de patrón. Se enfatizó en la importancia de la delineación de fenotipo para realizar un diagnóstico clínico precoz, una oportuna evaluación integral y multidisciplinaria, para brindar el adecuado asesoramiento genético a la familia (AU)

Blepharophimosis syndrome is a genetic disease characterized by a shortening of the palpebral fissure or blepharophimosis, associated to ptosis and epicanthus inversus in most cases. The disease is transmitted in an autosomal dominant form with two well-identified clinical types. This is a presentation of a case of a family with three members affected: father and his two sons, referred from ophthalmology specialty because of palpebral ptosis. The clinical method was applied through the comparative or pattern technique. There was emphasis on the importance of delineating the phenotype for an early clinical diagnosis, a right comprehensive and multidisciplinary assessment, providing appropriate genetic counseling to the family (AU)

Tratamento cirúrgico da blefaroptose congênita / Surgical treatment of congenital blepharoptosis

A blefaroptose é o posicionamento inadequado da pálpebra superior, estando abaixo de sua posição normal na posição primária do olhar, a qual seria 0,5 – 2mm abaixo do limbo superior. Pode causar bloqueio parcial ou completo do campo visual superior, além do comprometimento estético. As causas são categorizadas em congênitas ou adquiridas. É considerada congênita se presente ao nascimento ou diagnosticada no primeiro ano de vida. As principais técnicas utilizadas para o tratamento da ptose congênita são a ressecção da aponeurose do músculo levantador da pálpebra superior (MLPS) e a suspensão frontal. A medida da função do MLPS é o parâmetro mais importante na escolha da técnica cirúrgica. Quando a função é fraca, a suspensão frontal é mais indicada; a ressecção supramáxima do MLPS também pode ser empregada. Acima de 4 ou 5mm de função do MLPS, prefere-se a ressecção da aponeurose. Para a cirurgia de suspensão frontal, vários são os materiais utilizados, portanto apresentamos uma comparação entre os estudos mais relevantes. Discutiremos também particularidades em casos mais complicados, como as Síndromes da Blefarofimose e de Marcus-Gunn, além de técnicas cirúrgicas menos utilizadas e as complicações relatadas.

The blepharoptosis is the improper positioning of the upper eyelid, being below its normal position in primary gaze, which is 0.5 - 2mm below the superior corneal limbus. It may block partially or completely the upper visual field, and lead to aesthetic commitment. The causes are categorized as congenital or acquired. It is considered congenital if present at birth or diagnosed during the first year of life. The main techniques used for the treatment of congenital ptosis are the resection of the levator muscle aponeurosis and the frontalis suspension. The function of the levator muscle is the most important parameter to define the surgical technique. When the function is weak, the frontalis suspension is more appropriate; the supra-maximal resection of the levator muscle may also be employed. With function above 4 or 5mm, the resection of the aponeurosis is preferred. For the frontalis suspension surgery, various materials can be used, so we present a comparison of the most relevant studies. We also discuss some characteristics in more complicated cases, such as the Blepharophimosis syndrome and the Marcus-Gunn syndrome, and surgical techniques less performed and complications reported.

Sclerocornea in a patient with van den Ende-Gupta syndrome homozygous for a SCARF2 microdeletion.

Van den Ende-Gupta Syndrome (VDEGS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by blepharophimosis, distinctive nose, hypoplastic maxilla, and skeletal abnormalities. Using homozygosity mapping in four VDEGS patients from three consanguineous families, Anastacio et al. [Anastacio et al. (2010); Am J Hum Genet 87:553-559] identified homozygous mutations in SCARF2, located at 22q11.2. Bedeschi et al. [2010] described a VDEGS patient with sclerocornea and cataracts with compound heterozygosity for the common 22q11.2 microdeletion and a hemizygous SCARF2 mutation. Because sclerocornea had been described in DiGeorge-velo-cardio-facial syndrome but not in VDEGS, they suggested that the ocular abnormalities were caused by the 22q11.2 microdeletion. We report on a 23-year-old male who presented with bilateral sclerocornea and the VDGEGS phenotype who was subsequently found to be homozygous for a 17 bp deletion in exon 4 of SCARF2. The occurrence of bilateral sclerocornea in our patient together with that of Bedeschi et al., suggests that the full VDEGS phenotype may include sclerocornea resulting from homozygosity or compound heterozygosity for loss of function variants in SCARF2.

A novel insertion in the FOXL2 gene in a Chilean patient with blepharophimosis ptosis epicanthus inversus syndrome type I.

OBJECTIVE: A novel insertion in the forkhead transcription factor 2 (FOXL2) was identified in a Chilean patient with blepharophimosis, ptosis, and epicanthus inversus syndrome associated with premature ovarian failure (BPES type I). A clinical and molecular characterization of a patient with BPES type I was performed. METHOD: We present a 16-year-old adolescent girl with surgically treated blepharophimosis, ptosis, and epicanthus inversus that was associated with delayed puberty and secondary amenorrhea at the age of 15, indicators that suggested that the patient had BPES type I. The FOXL2 gene was analyzed by sequencing its coding region. RESULTS: The sequence analysis of the FOXL2 gene revealed a novel heterozygous mutation: an 11 bp duplication (c.901_911dup11) that was predicted to encode a truncated protein (p.Pro305Argfs*54). CONCLUSIONS: A novel out-of-frame duplication following the polyalanine domain in the FOXL2 gene was identified in a Chilean patient with BPES type I. This study characterized the molecular alterations in FOXL2 and confirmed the diagnosis, thereby providing information to allow for improved genetic counseling for the patient and her family.

A one-stage correction of the blepharophimosis syndrome using a standard combination of surgical techniques.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a one-stage treatment for the blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES) using a combination of standard surgical techniques. METHODS: This is a retrospective interventional case series study of 21 BPES patients with a 1-year minimum follow-up period. The one-stage intervention combined three different surgical procedures in the following order: Z-epicanthoplasty for the epicanthus, transnasal wiring of the medial canthal ligaments for the telecanthus, and a bilateral fascia lata sling for ptosis correction. Preoperative and postoperative measurements of the horizontal lid fissure length (HFL), vertical lid fissure width (VFW), nasal intercanthal distance (ICD), and the ratio between the intercanthal distance and the horizontal fissure length (ICD/HFL) were analyzed using Student's t test for paired variables. RESULTS: The mean preoperative measurements were 4.95 ± 1.13 mm for the VFW, 20.90 ± 2.14 mm for the HFL, 42.45 ± 2.19 mm for the ICD, and 2.04 ± 0.14 mm for the ICD/HFL ratio. The mean postoperative measurements were 7.93 ± 1.02 mm for the VFW, 26.36 ± 1.40 mm for the HFL, 32.07 ± 1.96 mm for the ICD, and 1.23 ± 0.09 mm for the ICD/HFL ratio. All these values and their differences were statistically significant (P < 0.0001). All of the patients developed symmetric postoperative inferior version lagophthalmus, a complication that tended to decrease over time. CONCLUSION: One-stage correction of BPES is safe and efficient with the surgical techniques described.

A new FOXL2 gene mutation in a woman with premature ovarian failure and sporadic blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a new FOXL2 gene mutation in a woman with sporadic blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES) and hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: University medical center. PATIENT(S): A 28-year-old woman. INTERVENTION(S): Clinical evaluation, hormone assays, gene mutation research. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): FOXL2 gene mutation. RESULT(S): The patient with hypergonadotropic hypogonadism was diagnosed with BPES due to a new FOXL2 gene mutation. CONCLUSION(S): Blepharophimosis-ptosis-epicanthus inversus syndrome is a rare disorder associated with premature ovarian failure (POF). The syndrome is an autosomal dominant trait that causes eyelid malformations and POF in affected women. Mutations in FOXL2 gene, located in chromosome 3, are related to the development of BPES with POF (BPES type I) or without POF (BPES type II). This report demonstrates a previously undescribed de novo mutation in the FOXL2 gene-a thymidine deletion, c.627delT (g.864delT)-in a woman with a sporadic case of BPES and POF. This mutation leads to truncated protein production that is related to a BPES type I phenotype. This report shows the importance of family history and genetic analysis in the evaluation of patients with POF and corroborates the relationship between mutations on the FOXL2 gene and ovarian insufficiency.

van den Ende-Gupta syndrome: evidence for genetic heterogeneity.

van den Ende-Gupta syndrome is characterized by craniofacial and skeletal manifestations, mainly malar and/or maxillary hypoplasia, blepharophimosis, distinctive nose, lower lip eversion, arachnodactyly, camptodactyly, and long slender bones of hands and feet. Growth and development are normal. To date only 11 patients, from 8 families, have been described. Autosomal recessive inheritance has been accepted in this condition, supported by the presence of consanguinity in three families and the recurrence of the disorder within the offspring of unaffected couples. In this article we report on a kindred with three affected individuals, two brothers and their half-sister, in which the van den Ende-Gupta syndrome is probably transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait in connection with gonadal mosaicism.

Estudos moleculares em anomalias craniofaciais raras: sindrome blefaroqueilodontica e efeitos de linha media facial com hipertelorismo / Molecular biological studies in rare craniofacial anomalies

A Síndrome Blefaroqueilodôntica (BCD) e os Defeitos de Linha Média Facial com Hipertelorismo (DLMFH) são defeitos craniofaciais raros. Por esse motivo, os estudos de grandes casuísticas têm sido limitados. Contribuição científica significativa neste assunto tem sido dada por nosso grupo, que delineou características clínicas e diretrizes para seguimento de longo prazo e evidenciou achados neuroradiológicos em ambas as anomalias. Embasado nesses achados preliminares e evidências recentes da literatura pertinente, foi possível estabelecer uma estratégia inicial para investigação etiológica da BCD e dos DLMFH, sendo os objetivos desse projeto: investigar a etiologia da BCD nos indivíduos afetados pela síndrome, por meio de estudo dos genes candidatos IRF6, P63, OSR2, TBX10, FOXE1, SHH, FGF8 e PAX3; pesquisar, nos indivíduos com DLMFH, a presença de mutações nos genes candidatos SHH, FGF8 e PAX3; identificar, em ambas as malformações, possíveis alterações cromossômicas; e, por último, associar os achados clínicos detectados nas investigações anteriores aos possíveis achados moleculares. Foram utilizadas técnicas de sequenciamento direto, array-CGH, genotipagem automática e hibridação in situ por fluorescência. Não foi possível relacionar nenhuma mutação pontual nos genes estudados associadas às malformações em questão, pois não foram encontradas alterações gênicas patogênicas. Entretanto foram detectadas em pacientes com DLFMH três aberrações cromossômicas em regiões distintas do genoma, tratando-se de um caso de duplicação no cromossomo...

The Blepharocheilodontic Syndrome (BCD) and Midline Facial Defects with Ocular Hypertelorism (MFDH) are rare craniofacial anomalies. Considering the rarity of these two groups of congenital defects, studies with large casuistry have been limited. Our group has significantly contributed to the scientific knowledge about both anomalies, delineating clinical characteristics, evidencing neurological findings and designing protocols for long term follow-up. Based in these preliminary findings and recent evidences of pertinent literature, it was possible to determine an initial etiologic investigation strategy for the BCD and the MFDH. The objectives of this project are to investigate the etiology of the BCD in affected individuals through IRF6, P63, OSR2, TBX10, FOXE1, SHH, FGF8 and PAX3 candidate genes study; to search MFDH patients for mutations in the SHH, FGF8 and PAX3 candidate genes; to identify, in both syndromes...

Schilbach-Rott/blepharofacioskeletal syndrome in a Brazilian patient.

We report on a 4-year-old girl with blepharophimosis, a typical facial gestalt and skeletal abnormalities seen in the blepharofacioskeletal syndrome (BFSS). A comparative review with previous cases provides further evidence that BFSS and Schilbach-Rott syndrome (SRS) are the same condition.