Abstract: | The clinical manifestations and cytogenetic changes of a patient with 46,XY,del(8)(p21.1) are compared with those of nine other patients with a similar deficiency of chromosome 8. Patients with this chromosome anomaly have a syndrome of postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly, mental retardation, epicanthal folds, posteriorly angulated and malformed ears, short neck, relatively increased internipple distance, and congenital heart defect. A short and broad nose, a wide and flat nasal bridge, and a small jaw are observed in young patients but tend to become less apparent with increasing age. In most instances, the syndrome has been associated with a de novo chromosome abnormality. Levels of glutathione reductase in our patient were normal—a finding consistent with localization of the gene coding for this enzyme to the proximal part of band 8p21.1 if gene dosage studies are reliable. |