A survey of more than 500 reports on patients with autosomal chromosomal aberrations associated with microphthalmos and/or coloboma shows that these anomalies are unspecific. Anterior chamber anomalies were common as were abnormal ears, preauricular pits and tags, cleft lip-palate, micrognathia, urogenital malformations, congenital heart disease, atresia of the anus and minor malformations of the hands and feet. It is proposed that the chromosomal aberrations induce faulty development of neural crest cells and rostral neural plate derivatives.