Aplasia cutis congenita associated with limb,eye, and brain anomalies in sibs: A variant of the Adams-Oliver syndrome?

Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) may occur in isolation or with other congenital malformations. Peripheral limb anomalies and ACC are major elements of the Adams-Oliver syndrome, which is usually inherited as an autosomal dominant disorder. We report on a sister and brother with ACC and brain, eye, and transverse limb anomalies. The phalanges of the hands and feet were either short or absent. The girl also had absence of right patella, was severely mentally retarded and blind with retinal nonattachment. The boy had a falciform fold in the left eye. He died at age one week and autopsy showed partial agenesis of corpus callosum. The findings in the sibs may represent a severe variant of the Adams-Oliver syndrome, or a previously unrecognized syndrome involving vascular disruption. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Reply to Seller and Bobrow

This paper describes seven persons in a family affected with an autosomal dominant syndrome of short stature with mesomelic shortness of upper and lower limbs, abnormal carpal and tarsal bones, hypoplastic or absent middle phalanges of hands and feet, and delayed coalescence of bipartite calcanei. All affected relatives are of normal intelligence, are free of eye problems, and have a normal skull, spine, shoulders, and hips. The digits of the hands and feet are short, broad, and angulated. The hypoplastic or absent middle phalanges effectively result in one interphalangeal joint for each digit, with decreased mobility. The bones of the carpus and tarsus coalesce with increasing age. None of the previously described syndromes or brachydactylies encompasses the findings noted in this kindred.     

An autosomal dominant syndrome of short stature with mesomelic shortness of limbs, abnormal carpal and tarsal bones, hypoplastic middle phalanges, and bipartite calcanei

This paper describes seven persons in a family affected with an autosomal dominant syndrome of short stature with mesomelic shortness of upper and lower limbs, abnormal carpal and tarsal bones, hypoplastic or absent middle phalanges of hands and feet, and delayed coalescence of bipartite calcanei. All affected relatives are of normal intelligence, are free of eye problems, and have a normal skull, spine, shoulders, and hips. The digits of the hands and feet are short, broad, and angulated. The hypoplastic or absent middle phalanges effectively result in one interphalangeal joint for each digit, with decreased mobility. The bones of the carpus and tarsus coalesce with increasing age. None of the previously described syndromes or brachydactylies encompasses the findings noted in this kindred.     

Blepharophimosis, corneal vascularization, deafness, and acroosteolysis: a "new" syndrome?

We report on a patient with blepharophimosis who after unsuccessful surgery developed progressive corneal vascularization. The patient had conductive hearing loss, acroosteolysis of the phalanges, arthropathy, loss of subcutaneous fat of the hands, feet and face, and oligospermia. He had had spontaneous pneumothorax four times. We have found no similar case reports in the literature and suggest that this is a new syndrome, which must be differentiated from hereditary mucoepithelial dysplasia, mandibuloacral dysplasia, keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome, Hajdu-Cheney syndrome, Penttinen syndrome, and mucopolysaccharidoses.     

Expanding the phenotype of gingival fibromatosis-mental retardation-hypertrichosis (Zimmermann-Laband) syndrome

Zimmermann-Laband syndrome (ZLS) is a rare disorder characterized by gingival fibromatosis, hypertrichosis, intellectual disability, and absence and/or hypoplasia of the nails or terminal phalanges of the hands and feet. The syndromic features of ZLS are highly variable and can overlap with other entities featuring gingival fibrosis. This study describes a patient with ZLS with novel findings, including colpocephaly, hemivertebra, polydactyly, hyperpigmentation, and hemihyperplasia. Thus, the present report expands the phenotypic spectrum of this uncommon syndrome.     

Metacarpophalangeal pattern (MCPP) profile analysis in a family with triphalangeal thumb.

Triphalangeal thumb (TPT) is a rare congenital disorder characterised by a long, finger-like thumb with three phalanges instead of two. It can occur as an isolated defect, in association with other abnormalities of the hands and feet, or as a part of a syndrome. Sporadic cases have been described, but it is usually inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. In order to examine skeletal morphology in different phenotypic variations of this disorder, we performed metacarpophalangeal pattern profile analysis in one kindred with this disorder. A characteristic profile occurred in all affected people, based on the individual lengthening or shortening of the thumb bones. Comparison of the affected and unaffected people from this family with people with a different genetic background suggests that the described profile is specific for TPT and could be used as a helpful diagnostic tool in syndromes which include TPT.     

Anonychia and absence/hypoplasia of distal phalanges (Cooks syndrome): report of a second family.

We describe a second family with four affected members in three successive generations with a rare nail dysplasia syndrome. The syndrome, which was first reported by Cooks et al in 1985, is characterised by bilateral nail hypoplasia of digits 1-3, with absence of nails of digits 4-5 of the hands, and total absence of all toe nails. In addition, there is absence/hypoplasia of the distal phalanges of the hands and feet. Our family confirms this syndrome as a distinct entity with autosomal dominant inheritance.     

Metopic and sagittal synostosis in Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome: five cases with intragenic mutations or complete deletions of GLI3

Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome (GCPS) is a multiple congenital malformation characterised by limb and craniofacial anomalies, caused by heterozygous mutation or deletion of GLI3. We report four boys and a girl who were presented with trigonocephaly due to metopic synostosis, in association with pre- and post-axial polydactyly and cutaneous syndactyly of hands and feet. Two cases had additional sagittal synostosis. None had a family history of similar features. In all five children, the diagnosis of GCPS was confirmed by molecular analysis of GLI3 (two had intragenic mutations and three had complete gene deletions detected on array comparative genomic hybridisation), thus highlighting the importance of trigonocephaly or overt metopic or sagittal synostosis as a distinct presenting feature of GCPS. These observations confirm and extend a recently proposed association of intragenic GLI3 mutations with metopic synostosis; moreover, the three individuals with complete deletion of GLI3 were previously considered to have Carpenter syndrome, highlighting an important source of diagnostic confusion.     

Laurin-Sandrow syndrome (mirror hands and feet and nasal defects): description of a new case.

A child with complete syndactyly of cup shaped hands and mirror polysyndactyly of the feet, together with a nasal defect, was identified out of a total of 1,031,439 livebirths. She had a pattern of multiple congenital anomalies which was similar to that first described by Laurin et al in 1964 and by Sandrow et al in 1970. Two more cases with a similar pattern of congenital anomalies have recently been published so this is the fifth reported case with this constellation.     

Mirror image duplication of the hands and feet: Report of a sporadic case with multiple congenital anomalies

Mirror image duplication of the hands and feet is a rare entity. Based on 3 previous reports, findings include nasal abnormalities, dimelia of ulna and fibula, tibial hypoplasia and mirror image duplication of hands and feet. We report on a sporadic case in which mirror image duplication was associated with multiple congenital anomalies. Although these cases may represent variable expression of the same dominantly transmitted complex polysyndactyly syndrome, it is possible that mirror image duplication of the hands and feet is a manifestation common to a number of distinct clinical entities. During limb bud development, duplication and aberrant positioning of the zone of polarizing activity in relation to the apical ectodermal ridge may account for the anatomic abnormalities of the hands and feet in these patients. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Complex toe syndactyly with characteristic facial phenotype: a new syndrome?

Nonsyndromic syndactyly is a common, heterogeneous hereditary condition of webbed fingers and toes that can be cutaneous or bony, unilateral or bilateral. We describe a patient with complex toe syndactyly and oligodactyly, some interesting skeletal hand findings and atypical facial features without other case like this described before. Cenani-Lenz syndrome (CLS) is a rare disorder with total syndactyly and irregular synostosis of carpal, metacarpal and phalanges, it may involve ulna and radius and digital rays may be absent, some of these were described with atypical facial features and one patient had renal hypoplasia and vertebral anomalies but our patient does not have the oligodactyly or syndactyly of the hands that is consistently present in all patients with CLS. The atypical facial features of our patient resemble Kabuki syndrome but oligodactyly and complex syndactyly have not been described in Kabuki syndrome and this patient has normal intelligence, and extreme eyelid defect (resembling ablepharon). Therefore, for our patient, we suggested to treat in a new condition of limb anomalies and atypical face.     

Limb pterygium syndromes: A review and report of eleven patients

Conditions with limb pterygia and congenital contractures were reviewed as part of a study of over 350 infants with arthrogryposis. Emphasis was placed on inheritance and variability of distinct pterygium conditions. Eleven patients with limb pterygia were recognized in our study and are described here. Seven of the 350 patients with congenital contractures had the autosomal recessively inherited multiple pterygium syndrome (Patients 1–7). Three of the seven are sibs, a fourth was born to consanguineous parents, and three were chance isolated cases. These seven had multiple joint webs, unusual finger contractures, syndactyly, rocker bottom feet, ptosis, antimongoloid slant of palpebral fissures, epicanthal folds, highly arched palate, scoliosis, and short stature. There is intrafamilial variability. Three patients from one family had a lethal multiple pterygium syndrome. Two were monozygotic twins. They had webbing and contractures of the elbows, knees, neck, and fingers, calcaneovalgus deformity of the feet, and an unusual facial appearance: hypertelorism, flat nose, antimongoloid slant of palpebral fissures, apparently low-set ears. One had a cleft palate. Internal malformations included: bilateral pulmonary hypoplasia, small heart, absence of the appendix, and attenuation of the ascending and transverse colon. One sporadic case of lethal popliteal pterygium with facial clefts was studied. Multiple anomalies included: ankyloblepharon filiforme adnatum, upslanting palpebral fissures, hypoplasia of nasal cartilages, frenula, clefts into the oropharynx lateral to the mouth, apparently low-set ears with slit-like canals, large popliteal pterygia, syndactyly with fusion of all digits in hands and feet, and hypoplastic labia.     

Confirmation of the mandibulofacial dysostosis,toriello type

We report the seventeenth case of the recessive form of the DOOR syndrome. The parents were Guatemalan and not known to be consanguineous. The patient had developmental delay, severe sensorineural deafness, and abnormal nails and phalanges in the hands and feet. Urinary 2-oxoglutarate excretion was normal. The patient was among a subset of DOOR syndrome patients may be useful in discussing the prognosis for newly identified cases. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Profound mental retardation, characteristic facies with midfacial hypoplasia and premature frontotemporal balding, muscular hypotrophy, and small patellae in two unrelated male patients.

Two profoundly mentally retarded, unrelated males are reported with an unidentified multiple congenital anomaly/mental retardation syndrome, including early balding, patella luxations, small hands and feet, and hypogonadism, similar to a previous publication in this journal of a severely mentally retarded male patient with dysmorphic features.     

New autosomal recessive syndrome of severe microcephaly and skeletal anomalies including posterior rib-gap defects

We describe two female fetuses conceived by a nonconsanguineous couple. The pregnancies were interrupted at 31 and 26 weeks of gestation, respectively, because of severe microcephaly. Postmortem X-ray and autopsy studies showed in both fetuses: 1) severe intrauterine growth retardation; 2) facial anomalies characterized by severe microcephaly, sloping forehead, low set and posteriorly angulated ears, prominent eyes, down-slanting palpebral fissures, large nose, small mouth with full lips, and mild microretrognathia; 3) severe brain hypoplasia that was more pronounced in the second fetus; 4) severe rib hypoplasia with posterior rib-gap defects and in case 2 hypoplasia of several bones (right clavicle, right radius and ulna, several phalanges of hands and feet); 5) contracture at large joints. No other visceral malformations were observed, and chromosomes were normal in patient 2 and parents. This phenotype has some similarities with different syndromic entities but an identical malformation syndrome seems not to have been described previously. Autosomal recessive inheritance is the most likely cause of this putative “new syndrome.” Am. J. Med. Genet. 80:429–434, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Carpenter syndrome: Marked variability of expression to include the summitt and Goodman syndromes

Here we report on two sibs with Carpenter syndrome showing marked intrafamilial variability. One patient had craniosynostosis of the sagittal suture, normal intelligence, and no abnormalities of hands and feet. The second patient had polysyndactyly of hands and feet, normal intelligence, and no craniosynostosis. The diagnosis of Carpenter syndrome was made after the second affected child in the family was born. This report emphasizes previous suggestions that acrocephalopolysyndactyly, type II, has variable clinical expression. It is suggested that polysyndactyly of feet is not an absolute requisite for the diagnosis of Carpenter syndrome. This allows the inclusion of Summitt and Goodman syndromes within the clinical spectrum of this disorder.     

Vertebral anomalies in a new family with ODED syndrome

We report a new family with oculodigitoesophagoduodenal syndrome (ODED syndrome), which associates microcephaly, abnormalities of the hands and feet, shortened palpebral fissures, tracheoesophageal fistula and duodenal atresia. In addition, previously unreported vertebral anomalies are described. This report further delineates the clinical and radiographic spectrum of this syndrome, providing useful information for diagnosis and family counseling.     

Fontaine-Farriaux craniosynostosis: second report in the literature

Craniosynostosis is determined by the precocious fusion of one or more calvarial sutures leading to an abnormal skull shape. Additionally, nodular heterotopia is a disorder of neuronal migration and/or proliferation. We describe a very rare multiple congenital anomalies (MCA) syndrome in which craniosynostosis is associated with bilateral periventricular nodular heterotopia (BPNH) of the gray matter and other malformations involving hands, feet, and the gut. Clinical findings and further investigations suggest the diagnosis of craniosynostosis Fontaine-Farriaux type. To the best of our knowledge, this case is only the second report of this MCA syndrome. Based on the clinical and radiological data of the two cases reported, we hypothesize that this malformative complex may be considered a new BPNH/MCA syndrome and propose to classify it as BPNH/craniosynostosis. Previous studies demonstrated that at least two BPNH/MCA syndromes have been mapped to the Xq28 chromosomal region in which a causative gene for isolated BPNH is located. The same authors hypothesized that other BPNH syndromes could be due to microrearrangements at the same Xq28 region. Our case presents several overlapping features with some BPNH/MCA syndromes and it is possible that this new complex disorder may be caused by rearrangements at the same chromosomal region that could alter expression of different genes in Xq28.     

Alport syndrome with diffuse leiomyomatosis

A Thai girl with a unique combination of limb and craniofacial anomalies is reported. Manifestations include blepharoptosis; prominent nose; hypodontia; multiple, hyperplastic frenula; and dysplastic ears. Limb anomalies include short stature, postaxial polydactyly of both hands and the left foot, proximal and distal symphalangism of fingers, and congenital absence of the distal phalanges of toes 2-5. Mutation analyses of NOG and GDF5, the genes responsible for symphalangism-related syndromes, were negative.     

Uruguay facio-cardio-musculo-skeletal syndrome: a novel X-linked recessive disorder

We report on three male patients from a single family with a brachyturricephaly, "pugilistic" facial appearance, a muffled voice, cardiomyopathy, muscular hypertrophy, broad hands, wide feet with progressive pes cavus deformities, dislocation of toes, variable congenital hip dislocation, and scoliosis. Three other males in the family, now deceased from cardiac disease, appear to have had the same disorder. The mother of the propositus has milder signs of the syndrome. All affected males are related through the maternal line. These cases represent an apparently previously undescribed X-linked recessive syndrome.