Robinow syndrome: report of two patients and review of literature.

We report two patients with Robinow or fetal face syndrome. We present a thirteen year follow-up on three previously published cases and a review of 32 cases in the literature. The cardinal features of this condition include mesomelic shortening of the forearms, frontal bossing, hypertelorism, wide palpebral fissures, short upturned broad nose with anteverted nares, long philtrum, small chin, brachydactyly, hypoplastic genitalia and a normal karyotype. Development delay and mental retardation was noted in 18% of the reported cases. Early death was identified in about 10% of the cases. Genetic heterogeneity is suggested with autosomal dominant inheritance reported in 8 individuals from 3 families and autosomal recessive inheritance in 8 siblings from 4 families although no clinical differences were identified among those individuals with different inheritance patterns. Male to male transmission was reported in one family. Parental age does not appear to be a factor in the cause of this syndrome.