American journal of medical genetics. Part A
-
Am. J. Med. Genet. A · Mar 2005
Review Case ReportsMarinesco-Sjögren syndrome in a male with mild dysmorphism.
Marinesco-Sjogren syndrome (MSS) is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder comprising cataracts, cerebellar ataxia caused by cerebellar hypoplasia, mild to moderate mental retardation, neuromuscular weakness, short stature, hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism, and skeletal anomalies. The syndrome was recently mapped to chromosome 5q31, but there is evidence for genetic heterogeneity, and no gene has been identified. We report a 5-year-old male with cataracts, ataxia, a progressive cerebellar atrophy, developmental delay, seizures, hypotonia, and a sensorimotor neuropathy consistent with many cases of MSS. ⋯ Skeletal findings included an increased kyphosis. We reviewed the literature on MSS to determine if craniofacial dysmorphism and the presence of neuropathy and/or myopathy would prove to be diagnostically useful in this phenotypically heterogeneous condition. The majority of cases of MSS do not have craniofacial dysmorphism, but other cases have been reported with features such as ptosis or a myopathic facies that are likely to reflect the underlying myopathic or neuromuscular processes in MSS.
-
Am. J. Med. Genet. A · Jan 2005
Review Case ReportsAdditional case of Tsukahara's syndrome or new syndrome: further delineation of the association of microcephaly and radio-ulnar synostosis.
In 1994, Giuffré et al. reported two unrelated families in which some of the members had microcephaly and radio-ulnar synostosis, suggesting a new condition. Since this first report, Tsukahara et al. and Udler et al. described two distinct patients with a different condition characterized by radio-ulnar synostosis, short stature, microcephaly, scoliosis, and mental retardation. Here we report on a new case of microcephaly and radio-ulnar synostosis and discuss the possible relationship between Tsukahara's syndrome and the phenotype described by Giuffré et al.
-
Am. J. Med. Genet. A · Jan 2005
Case ReportsA 2-bp deletion in the GJA1 gene is associated with oculo-dento-digital dysplasia with palmoplantar keratoderma.
Oculo-dento-digital dysplasia (ODDD, OMIM no. 164210) is a pleiotropic disorder characterized mainly by ocular anomalies, varying degrees of finger and toe syndactyly, and enamel defects. It is caused by missense mutations in the gene coding for the gap junction protein connexin 43 or GJA1. Other types of mutations have so far not been reported. ⋯ The dinucleotide deletion 780_781delTG is located in the cytoplasmic C-terminal loop and leads to a frameshift. This is predicted to lead to the production of a slightly truncated protein with 46 incorrect amino acids in the C-terminal cytoplasmic loop (C260fsX307). This novel mutation may explain the presence of skin symptoms.
-
Advances in the molecular biology of hearing and deafness have identified many genes essential for normal auditory function. Allele variants of these genes cause nonsyndromic deafness, making mutation screening a valuable test to unequivocally diagnose many different forms of inherited deafness. In this study, genetic testing of GJB2, SLC26A4 and WFS1 is reviewed.