Oral-facial-digital syndrome with retinal abnormalities: OFDS type IX. A further case report

The oral-facial-digital syndromes (OFDS) are a heterogeneous group. Recently, Gurrieri et al. [1992: Am J Med Genet 42:789-792] described a new OFDS characterised by typical oral, facial and digital abnormalities but distinguishable from previously reported OFDS by the presence of retinochoroidal lacunae of an apparently colobomatous origin. Toriello [1993: Clin Dysmorph 2:95-105] designated this possible new OFDS as Type IX. We describe a young woman presenting with oral, facial and digital anomalies and with the specific retinal abnormality reported by Gurrieri et al. [1992], thus confirming the existence of OFDS Type IX. As the patients of Gurrieri et al. [1992] were two affected brothers, they were unable to distinguish between autosomal and X-linked recessive inheritance. As our patient is an affected female, an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance is more likely.