Brachydactyly, Distal Symphalangism, Scoliosis, Tall Stature, and Club Feet: a New Syndrome
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Journal ofMedical Genetics, 1978, 15, 208-211 J Med Genet: first published as 10.1136/jmg.15.3.208 on 1 June 1978. Downloaded from Brachydactyly, distal symphalangism, scoliosis, tall stature, and club feet: a new syndrome D. 0. SILLENCE From the Genetics Research Unit, Royal Children's Hospital Research Foundation, Flemington Road, Parkville 3052, Victoria, Australia SUMMARY Five members of a kindred with brachydactyly and distal symphalangism, normal stature, pes cavus, and scoliosis were ascertained. The pedigree was consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. The combination of clinical and radiological features is believed to be distinct from those previously reported in patients with brachydactyly/symphalangism. The syndrome of brachydactyly and symphalangism allow early recognition and treatment of scoliosis in has been reviewed in detail by Bell (1951), Temtamy these patients. and McKusick (1969), and Herrmann (1974). The copyright. findings in the hands and feet in our patients were con- Case reports sistent with type Al brachydactyly (Bell, 1951), with rudimentary or short middle phalanges. Normal The pedigree is set out in Fig. 1. stature in one kindred with type A brachydactyly has been reported by Nissen (1932), and scoliosis was CASE iv. 2: PROBAND reported in another kindred with normal stature and This young woman was born at term after a normal type A brachydactyly (Pippow, 1942). Vertebral pregnancy and delivery. Birthweight was 3200 g and http://jmg.bmj.com/ involvement and severe pes cavus in association with length 51 cm. Her fingers were short at birth and her brachydactyly/symphalangism similar to, but more feet showed varus deformity which was progressive extensive than, Bell type Al have been reported and required manipulation and splinting during child- (Kirmisson, 1898). hood. At 7 years, surgical correction of cavus and The family reported indicates further heterogeneity forefoot adduction deformity was performed. in type Al brachydactyly. The presence of brachy- Radiographs of the dorsal spine, performed because dactyly with club feet may be an important clinical of back pain, at age 9 years, disclosed vertebral clue to the subsequent development of scoliosis and anomalies and a presumptive diagnosis of Scheur- on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected I * Affected male T 7 * Affected female I n A 2 13 (tB4 b5 46 Fig. 1 Family pedigree. Received for publication 4 May 1977 208 Brachydactyly, a new syndrome 209 J Med Genet: first published as 10.1136/jmg.15.3.208 on 1 June 1978. Downloaded from Fig. 2 Proband aged 16 years: radiograph ofhands. mann's disease was made, though she did not have Fig. 3 Elder sister ofproband aged 17 years: hands. kyphosis of the spine. Scoliosis was diagnosed at 11 years. She presented at the Children's Hospital, Melbourne, when she was early findings were similar to those of the proband. 16 years, for a Dwyer's operation for correction of Cavus and varus deformities of both feet were present scoliosis. Menarche occurred at 141 years. Both her at birth. She had manipulation and splinting and three mother (height 176 cm) and her father (height 181 cm) operations during childhood to correct these defor- were tall. mities. On examination, both feet were broad with pro- When examined, she was above the 98th centile for nounced cavus deformity. The toes were large and height, of slender build, with a moderate lumbar bulbous. Her hands showed pronounced brachydac- copyright. scoliosis convex to the left. Her face was oval, with tyly, with camptodactyly of the fourth and fifth fingers small epicanthic folds. The fingers were short, with and ulnar deviation of the distal phalanges of the camptodactyly of the fifth finger. Thumbs were broad middle fingers. The pattern of palmar creases was and thumb nails were short and broad though the nails similar to that of the proband. on other fingers were normal. There was a single A thoracolumbar scoliosis became evident during crease on each hand and single flexion creases on each her 14th year. Menarche occurred at 15 years. The finger. The forefeet were broad with pronounced cavus scoliosis progressed during puberty and was of http://jmg.bmj.com/ deformity. moderate severity at the time of examination. Her Radiographs of the hands, at 16 years (Fig. 2), height was 174 cm, which is between the 25th and showed only 2 phalanges in the 2nd and 5th fingers. 50th centiles. Proximal phalanges were of normal length, and distal Radiographic findings were similar to the pro- phalanges were shaped like chess pawns. The middle band's. However, the proximal phalanges of ring and phalanges of the 3rd and 4th fingers were rudimentary little fingers were short and square, similar to the first and square. In both hands the first metacarpals and metacarpals of the proband (Fig. 3). There were only the proximal phalanges of the thumb were short and two phalanges in each finger. In the right hand only, a on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected square. The feet showed absent middle phalanges and short square bone was interposed between proximal pawn-shaped distal phalanges. The proximal phalanx and distal phalanges of the middle finger. Radio- of each hallux was square. Tarsal bones were larger graphs of hands (Fig. 4) and pelvis at 3 months of age than usual but otherwise normal. There was thoraco- showed absent middle phalanges though there was a lumbar scoliosis, and the vertebrae, particularly in the speck of calcification in the middle and ring finger of lumbar region, were large and square, and disc the left hand and middle finger of the right hand, con- degenerative changes were pronounced for her age. sistent with an ossification centre for the middle The pelvis was ovoid and the iliac wings broad with phalanges. The pelvis had squared iliac wings with horizontal acetabulae. Skull radiographs were normal. horizontal acetabulae. CASE IV.A CASE iv.3 The elder sister of the proband was 17 years when The younger sister of the proband was 11 years when examined. She was born at term after a normal examined. Birthweight was 3700 g and length 56 cm. delivery, birthweight 3000 g and length 53 cm. Her Changes in the hands similar to the proband's were 210 SillenceJ Med Genet: first published as 10.1136/jmg.15.3.208 on 1 June 1978. Downloaded from Fig. 4 Elder sister ofproband aged 3 months: hands. Fig. 6 Mother ofproband aged 48 years: hands. present at birth though foot deformity was less pro- examined. Short fingers were present at birth though nounced. She had a single operation to correct varus foot deformity was not present. Scoliosis had been deformity at the age of 4 years. Recently she has had noted at the age of 14 years but was not progressive. recurrent urinary tract infections but intravenous She was 176 cm tall with mild thoracolumbar pyelogram and micturating cystourethrogram showed scoliosis. Her hands appeared identical to the pro- no abnormality. band's. Joint mobility was normal. The feet were On examination her height was between the 90th broad with bulbous toes but were otherwise normal. and 97th centiles. Scoliosis was absent. Her hands Radiographs of the hands showed absent middle were similar to those of the proband's. Her feet phalanges, pawn-shaped distal phalanges, and showed mild cavus deformity only. Neurological relatively normal proximal phalanges except for that examination was normal. of the thumb which was short and rectangular (Fig. 6). Radiographic findings were similar to those in the Feet, thoracolumbar spine, pelvis, and skull werecopyright. proband. However, the hands showed short rounded similar to the proband's. ossification centres interposed between proximal and distal phalanges (Fig. 5). In the thoracic spine the the CASE ii.2 vertebrae were square and similar to proband's. The proband's grandfather died at the age of 74 with However, in the lumbar spine, the vertebrae were he had for 6 flattened. cardiopulmonary disease which had years before his death. His daughter said that he was http://jmg.bmj.com/ tall, height 188 cm, and had mild scoliosis. His fingers CASE iii.2 old when were short and his feet were broad but without pro- The mother of the proband was 48 years nounced cavus deformity. Radiographs were not avail- ... 1111 qjjmmvllvllj..4 -i able. He was the only one of his sibship ascertained 1 with brachydactyly. Genetics This brachydactyly/symphalangism syndrome was on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected expressed in 3 generations with 5 affected individuals. The pedigree (Fig. 1) was consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance. There was complete penetrance for brachydactyly but variable penetrance for pes cavus. Scoliosis was expressed at puberty. The younger sib had not yet reached puberty. The first affected family member was the grand- father of the proband. His father was 36 years and mother 29 years at the time of his birth. Discussion Familial scoliosis has been reported as an isolated Fig. 5 Younger sister ofproband aged )I years: hands. defect (Wynne-Davies, 1968) and associated with Brachydactyly, a new syndrome 211 J Med Genet: first published as 10.1136/jmg.15.3.208 on 1 June 1978. Downloaded from heritable connective tissue disorders such as Marfan's radiographs it appears that these pawn-shaped syndrome. In this kindred, familial scoliosis occurred phalanges arose from fusion of the interposed associated with tall normal stature, pes cavus, and ossification centres with their distal phalanges. brachydactyly similar to Bell type Al (Bell, 1951). The The unusual shape of the vertebrae and the majority of reported cases of brachydactyly Al have occurrence of scoliosis indicate a generalised connec- been associated with short stature. However, normal tive tissue defect in this syndrome. Joint hyperlaxity stature and dominantly inherited brachydactyly were was not a feature, suggesting that the defect was pri- reported in one kindred with type A brachydactyly marily expressed through the osseous system.