 It is named after the German ophthalmologist Theodor Axenfeld who studied anterior segment disorders, especially those such as Rieger syndrome and the Axenfeld anomaly.Axenfeld–Rieger syndrome is characterized by abnormalities of the eyes, teeth, and facial structure.Rieger syndrome, by medical definition, is determined by the presence of malformed teeth, underdeveloped anterior segment of the eyes, and cardiac problems associated with the Axenfeld anomaly.