Ocular Manifestations of Congenital Rubella Syndrome

Abstract

The congenital rubella syndrome is a welldescribed clinical entity. Gregg of Australia in 1941 first described congenital malformations following maternal rubella cases.¹These defects included small, malnourished infants with unilateral or bilateral cataracts, sluggish pupillary response to light, nystagmus in the older babies, corneal haze that cleared, microphthalmus, heart lesions (usually patent ductus arteriosus), and an intolerance to atropine. This work was reviewed for the American ophthalmic literature by Reese in 1944.² Charles Swan of Australia confirmed these observations in 1943 and also extended the spectrum to include deaf-mutism, cardiac defects without apparent ophthalmic defects, and microcephaly.³Evans in 1944 first described tooth abnormalities consisting of retarded eruption and hypoplasia of the tooth enamel.⁴Bruce Hamilton and associates⁵in 1948 and Morlet⁶in 1949 reported associated pigmentation of the retina in eyes without cataracts. Lundstrom in 1962 confirmed the above observations and found significant