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.
Three unrelated stillborn infants (cases 1-3) are presented here with a distinct constellation of multiple anomalies: namely, multiple pterygia involving chin-to-sternum, cervical, axillary, antecubital, crural and/or popliteal areas, flexion contractures of multiple joints, small chest, hydrops, characteristic abnormal facial appearance with hypertelorism, markedly flattened nasal bridge with hypoplastic nasal alae, cleft palate, micrognathia, apparently low-set malformed ears, short neck with a cystic hygroma at the back of the neck and head, and pulmonary and cardiac hypoplasia. Radiographic studies, in addition, showed scalp edema, microbrachycephaly, flattened mandibular angle, lack of normal curvature at the cervico-thoracic junction, marked bony fusion of posterior spinous processes of older fetuses (cases 1, 2), thin crowded ribs, markedly hypoplastic scapulae, hypoplastic iliac wings, ischia and pubic bones, undermodeling of tubular bones, and radio-ulnar synostosis. Histologic studies of the skeletal system showed cartilaginous and bony fusion of the spinous processes (cases 1, 2), fusion of epiphyseal cartilages of distal humerus and proximal ulna, a poorly developed joint space, an abnormal growth plate, and weak safranin staining of the resting cartilages (cases 1, 2). To the best of our knowledge, this pattern of anomalies constitutes a previously undescribed syndrome. Prenatal diagnosis of this entity is possible by ultrasonographic studies on the basis of nonimmune fetal hydrops, a cystic hygroma at the back of the head and neck, diminished fetal activity, short and fixed limbs, and/or maternal hydramnios. Three additional cases (cases 4-6) are also presented to show a possible heterogeneity of this syndrome.
We report on five cases of lethal Pena-Shokeir syndrome from three families with affected sibs. In addition to multiple anklyoses, camptodactyly, facial anomalies, and pulmonary hypoplasia, one fetus had pterygia of the neck and axillae and cardiac hypoplasia. Radiographic changes are nonspecific and probably are related to a lack of intrauterine movement. Our data and review of the literature suggest that pterygium formation is one of the manifestations of the Pena-Shokeir syndrome. A recently described lethal form of the recessively inherited multiple pterygium syndrome may represent a severe form of the Pena-Shokeir syndrome.
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