Anterior segment anomalies associated with the fetal alcohol syndrome.

Anterior segment anomalies were noted in eight children diagnosed as having the fetal alcohol syndrome. Peters' and Axenfeld's anomalies were among the specific defects noted. Four children have maintained clear corneal grafts. A teratogenic action of alcohol during a critical period of development of anterior chamber structures is suggested as an etiologic factor. It is proposed that the varied types and severity of abnormalities noted might result from differences in blood alcohol levels, timing of the insult, and genetic background of the fetus. The observation of various types of malformations thought to share a similar pathogenesis lends additional support to the assumption that there is an interrelationship among these types of congenital segment pathology.