The trisomy 18 syndrome, also known as Edwards syndrome, is a common chromosomal disorder due to the presence of an extra chromosome 18, either full, mosaic trisomy, or partial trisomy 18q. The condition is the second most common autosomal trisomy syndrome after trisomy 21. The live born prevalence is estimated as 1/6,000-1/8,000, but the overall prevalence is higher (1/2500-1/2600) due to the high frequency of fetal loss and pregnancy termination after prenatal diagnosis. The prevalence of trisomy 18 rises with the increasing maternal age. The recurrence risk for a family with a child with full trisomy 18 is about 1%.

Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) is a well-known chromosomal disorder attributable to partial deletion of the short arm of chromosome 4 (4p-). Although about 120 cases have been reported so far, there is still very little data on its natural history. Information given to parents at the time of diagnosis tends to be skewed to the extreme negative. To help delineate more thoroughly the natural history of WHS, and to obtain better information to answer parents' questions in a clinical setting, we evaluated 15 patients (12 females, 3 males) in three centers with the 4p- syndrome. Four of the cases had a follow-up spanning 16 years. Thirteen cases were detected by standard cytogenetics (regular G-banding 10, high-resolution banding 3), while the remaining 2 required fluorescence in situ hybridization. A total of 5/15 (33.3%) had heart lesions; 7/15 (46.6%) had oral facial clefts; 13/15 (86.6%) had a seizure disorder, that tended to disappear with age; and 100% had severe/profound developmental retardation. One Italian patient had sensorineural deafness and 1 Utah patient had a right split hand defect. Of note, 2 Utah patients were able to walk with support (at 4 and 12 years of age, respectively), whereas 3 Italian patients and 1 Utah patient were able to walk unassisted (at 4, 5, 5 years 9 months, and 7 years of age, respectively). Two of the 3 Italian patients also achieved sphincter control (by day). The 8 patients receiving serial electroencephalogram studies showed fairly distinctive abnormalities, usually outlasting seizures. A slow, but constant progress in development was observed in all cases, during the follow-up period. In conclusion, the combined cases of the three centers represent considerable experience, providing new information on several aspects of this important deletion syndrome.Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome; del(4p) syndrome; natural history.

An international group of clinicians and scientists working in the field of dysmorphology has initiated the standardization of terms used to describe human morphology. The goals are to standardize these terms and reach consensus regarding their definitions. In this way, we will increase the utility of descriptions of the human phenotype and facilitate reliable comparisons of findings among patients. Discussions with other workers in dysmorphology and related fields, such as developmental biology and molecular genetics, will become more precise. Here we summarize the anatomy of the oral region and define and illustrate the terms that describe the major characteristics of the lips and mouth.

Multinucleate cellular syncytial formation is a hallmark of skeletal muscle differentiation. Myomaker, encoded by Mymk (Tmem8c), is a well-conserved plasma membrane protein required for myoblast fusion to form multinucleated myotubes in mouse, chick, and zebrafish. Here, we report that autosomal recessive mutations in MYMK (OMIM 615345) cause Carey-Fineman-Ziter syndrome in humans (CFZS; OMIM 254940) by reducing but not eliminating MYMK function. We characterize MYMK-CFZS as a congenital myopathy with marked facial weakness and additional clinical and pathologic features that distinguish it from other congenital neuromuscular syndromes. We show that a heterologous cell fusion assay in vitro and allelic complementation experiments in mymk knockdown and mymk^insT/insT zebrafish in vivo can differentiate between MYMK wild type, hypomorphic and null alleles. Collectively, these data establish that MYMK activity is necessary for normal muscle development and maintenance in humans, and expand the spectrum of congenital myopathies to include cell-cell fusion deficits.

OBJECTIVE. Freeman-Sheldon syndrome (FSS) is a rare, multiple congenital contracture syndrome that is nonetheless relatively well-known, because affected children have a striking appearance: it was historically called “whistling-face syndrome” because of involvement of the facial muscles. FSS is often confused with other congenital contracture syndromes and, as a result, the clinical characteristics and natural history are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to analyze the presentation, natural history, and outcome of a cohort of individuals ascertained using strict diagnostic criteria for FSS.METHODS. Data from questionnaires, medical charts, examination, and photographs were analyzed to describe the physical features, therapeutic interventions, and functional outcomes in 73 individuals referred with the diagnosis of FSS.RESULTS. Only 32 referred cases (∼40%) met diagnostic criteria for FSS. In addition to contractures, common features in these cases included severe scoliosis (85%), strabismus (42%), and hearing loss (30%). Most infants required supplementary feedings via a nasogastric (45%) or gastrostomy tube (17%). Children walked by an average age of 19 months, but ∼80% required ambulation-assist devices. An average of ∼10 surgeries was performed on each child, and anesthetic and/or surgical complications were reported in 50% of individuals. All individuals were cognitively normal.CONCLUSIONS. The clinical characteristics and natural history of FSS distinguish it from other forms of arthrogryposis, yet FSS is frequently misdiagnosed. Children with FSS require considerable nutritional, surgical, and rehabilitative intervention. Such intensive therapeutic demands differ substantially from most other congenital contracture syndromes. These findings underscore the necessity of making an accurate diagnosis.

At the time of diagnosis of the trisomy 18 and trisomy 13, parents and care providers face difficult and challenging decisions regarding management. Because of the increased infant mortality and developmental outcome associated with both conditions, the conventional approach to management has been to withhold technological support. In recent years, an active dialogue on this topic has emerged. The purpose of this review is to summarize the literature on the outcome of infants with trisomy 18 and 13 and to discuss the key themes in this emerging dialogue. In recent years, several important studies have appeared that have analyzed the issues relevant to this topic, including parental autonomy, best interest of the child standard, and quality of life. Some authorities state that in areas of ambiguity it is best to defer to parents' views, whereas others indicate concern that the best interest standard has given way to parental autonomy. Information on the actual experience of parents of children with trisomy 18 and 13 has been limited until recently. The author recommends a balanced approach to counseling families of the newborn with trisomy 18 and 13 at the time of diagnosis. The counseling process should include presentation of accurate survival figures, avoidance of language that assumes outcome, communication of developmental outcome that does not presuppose perception of quality of life, and respect for the family's choice, whether it be comfort care or intervention.