Bilateral microphthalmos with colobomatous orbital cyst and de-novo balanced translocation t(3;5)

A term Caucasian male infant, born to a healthy non-related couple, was noted at birth to have bilateral edema and bluish discoloration of the lower eyelids. On physical examination, the eye globes were not visualized and hypertelorism was noted. Radiological imaging revealed large bilateral orbital cysts, microphthalmos, and severe optic nerve hypoplasia. Histological study of the excised orbital masses showed cysts lined by primitive, immature retinal tissue which contained neuroglial elements and scattered dysplastic rosettes. Chromosome analysis revealed an apparent balanced reciprocal translocation between the long arm of chromosome 3 and 5, i.e. 46, XY, t (3; 5) (q27; q11.2). Chromosome studies in parents were normal. To our knowledge, the association of this balanced translocation and microphthalmos with cyst has not been previously described in the English literature.