Syndrome of brittle cornea, blue sclera, and joint hyperextensibility

In 3 families 4 patients were affected with the syndrome of brittle cornea, blue sclera, and hyperextensible joints (brittle cornea syndrome). From the review of 17 affected patients described previously and our cases, it appears that this rare autosomal recessive syndrome has variable expressivity. Two different groups of patients may be distinguished: one includes 5 families, all of Tunisian Jewish origin. All patients in this group also have red hair. In the second group, 9 families are from various ethnic origins; affected patients in this group have a normal distribution of hair color. A possible explanation for the existence of these 2 different group of patients is that the locus of the gene responsible for the syndrome is closely linked to the locus for a gene responsible for hair color with linkage disiquilibrium in Tunisian Jews (Sepharadim).