Vitreoretinal membrane shrinkage or contraction secondary to the proliferation of primarily retinal pigment epithelial cells and glial cells, particularly fibrous astrocytes, followed by membrane formation. The formation of fibrillar collagen and cellular proliferation appear to be the basis for the contractile properties of the epiretinal and vitreous membranes.

Marshall syndrome (MRSHS) is characterized by midfacial hypoplasia, cleft palate, ocular anomalies including high myopia and cataracts, sensorineural hearing loss, short stature with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, and arthropathy. In contrast to Stickler syndrome type II, it has less severe eye findings but striking ocular hypertelorism, more pronounced maxillary hypoplasia, and ectodermal abnormalities (summary by Shanske et al., 1997 and Ala-Kokko and Shanske, 2009).

Osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome (OPPG) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by severe osteoporosis and visual disturbance from childhood. Juvenile onset of osteoporosis manifests as long-bone fractures, vertebral compression fractures, kyphoscoliosis, deformity of extremities, and short stature. Congenital or early-onset visual disturbances arise from ophthalmologic problems including retinal detachment and microphthalmia (summary by Narumi et al., 2010).

VCAN-related vitreoretinopathy, which includes Wagner syndrome and erosive vitreoretinopathy (ERVR), is characterized by "optically empty vitreous" on slit-lamp examination and avascular vitreous strands and veils, mild or occasionally moderate to severe myopia, presenile cataract, night blindness of variable degree associated with progressive chorioretinal atrophy, retinal traction and retinal detachment in the advanced stages of disease, and reduced visual acuity. Optic nerve inversion as well as uveitis has also been described. Systemic abnormalities are not observed. The first signs usually become apparent during early adolescence, but onset can be as early as age two years.

Hereditary human retinal degenerative diseases usually affect the mature photoreceptor topography by reducing the number of cells through apoptosis, resulting in loss of visual function. Only one inherited retinal disease, the enhanced S-cone syndrome (ESCS), manifests a gain in function of photoreceptors. ESCS is an autosomal recessive retinopathy in which patients have increased sensitivity to blue light; perception of blue light is mediated by what is normally the least populous cone photoreceptor subtype, the S (short wavelength, blue) cones. People with ESCS also suffer visual loss, with night blindness occurring from early in life, varying degrees of L (long, red)- and M (middle, green)-cone vision, and retinal degeneration. The pattern of retinal dysfunction is a constant among ESCS patients, but the degree of clinically evident retinal degeneration can vary from minimal to severe. The latter condition is known as Goldmann-Favre syndrome. The altered ratio of S- to L/M-cone photoreceptor sensitivity in ESCS may be due to abnormal cone cell fate determination during retinal development (summary by Haider et al., 2000). Goldmann-Favre syndrome is characterized by a liquefied vitreous body with preretinal band-shaped structures (veil), macular changes in the form of retinoschisis or edema and pigmentary degeneration of the retina with hemeralopia and extinguished electroretinogram. Cataract is a complication. The disorder is to be distinguished from X-linked retinoschisis (312700) and from autosomal dominant hyaloideoretinal degeneration (143200).

Pigmented paravenous chorioretinal atrophy is a stationary disease of the ocular fundus in which bone corpuscle pigmentation is seen in a paravenous distribution. Patients are usually asymptomatic; diagnosis is based on the characteristic fundus appearance. Most cases have been reported in males (summary by Traboulsi and Maumenee, 1986).

Stickler syndrome is a connective tissue disorder that can include ocular findings of myopia, cataract, and retinal detachment; hearing loss that is both conductive and sensorineural; midfacial underdevelopment and cleft palate (either alone or as part of the Robin sequence); and mild spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia and/or precocious arthritis. Variable phenotypic expression of Stickler syndrome occurs both within and among families; interfamilial variability is in part explained by locus and allelic heterogeneity.

Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDC) is an autosomal dominant chondrodysplasia characterized by disproportionate short stature (short trunk), abnormal epiphyses, and flattened vertebral bodies. Skeletal features are manifested at birth and evolve with time. Other features include myopia and/or retinal degeneration with retinal detachment and cleft palate (summary by Anderson et al., 1990).

Stickler syndrome is a connective tissue disorder that can include ocular findings of myopia, cataract, and retinal detachment; hearing loss that is both conductive and sensorineural; midfacial underdevelopment and cleft palate (either alone or as part of the Robin sequence); and mild spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia and/or precocious arthritis. Variable phenotypic expression of Stickler syndrome occurs both within and among families; interfamilial variability is in part explained by locus and allelic heterogeneity.

Knobloch syndrome-1 (KNO1) is an autosomal recessive developmental disorder primarily characterized by typical eye abnormalities, including high myopia, cataracts, dislocated lens, vitreoretinal degeneration, and retinal detachment, with occipital skull defects, which can range from occipital encephalocele to occult cutis aplasia (summary by Aldahmesh et al., 2011). Genetic Heterogeneity of Knobloch Syndrome KNO2 (618458) is caused by mutation in the PAK2 gene (605022) on chromosome 3q29.

Knobloch syndrome-2 (KNO2) is characterized by severe vitreoretinal degeneration associated with occipital skull defects, ranging from mild encephalocele to abnormally pigmented hair. Developmental delay may be mild or severe (Antonarakis et al., 2022). For a general phenotypic description and discussion of genetic heterogeneity of Knobloch syndrome, see KNO1 (267750).