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$Unique_ID{BRK04079}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Pallister-W Syndrome}
$Subject{Pallister-W Syndrome W Syndrome Oto-Palato-Digital Syndrome
Frontometaphyseal Dysplasia Larsen Syndrome Oro-Facial-Digital Syndrome}
$Volume{}
$Log{}
Copyright (C) 1992 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
900:
Pallister-W Syndrome
** IMPORTANT **
It is possible that the main title of the article (Pallister-W Syndrome)
is not the name you expected. Please check the SYNONYM listing to find the
alternate names and disorder subdivisions covered by this article.
Synonyms
W Syndrome
Information on the following diseases can be found in the Related
Disorders section of this report:
Oto-Palato-Digital Syndrome
Frontometaphyseal Dysplasia
Larsen Syndrome
Oro-Facial-Digital Syndrome
General Discussion
** REMINDER **
The Information contained in the Rare Disease Database is provided for
educational purposes only. It should not be used for diagnostic or treatment
purposes. If you wish to obtain more information about this disorder, please
contact your personal physician and/or the agencies listed in the "Resources"
section of this report.
Pallister-W Syndrome is an X-linked recessive genetic disorder or an
autosomal dominant condition that is apparent at birth. Major symptoms may
include unusual facial clefting, broad based nose, widely spaced slanting
eyes and seizures. Mental retardation, speech problems, and bone deformities
of the arms and legs can also occur.
Symptoms
Pallister-W Syndrome is apparent at birth. It is characterized by widely-
spaced eyes, broad, flat nasal bridge, central clefting of the palate or
upper lip, seizures and mental retardation. There may also be bone
abnormalities in the arms and legs. Cowlick (hair that does not lie flat on
the head), missing teeth, a high forehead and slanting of the eyelids has
also been noted.
Causes
The exact cause of Pallister-W Syndrome is not known. The disorder is
thought to be caused either by X-linked recessive or autosomal dominant
genetic transmission. Males are affected more severely than females.
Human traits, including the classic genetic diseases, are the product of
the interaction of two genes, one received from the father and one from the
mother.
In dominant disorders a single copy of the disease gene (received from
either the mother or father) will be expressed "dominating" the other normal
gene and resulting in the appearance of the disease. The risk of
transmitting the disorder from affected parent to offspring is fifty percent
for each pregnancy regardless of the sex of the resulting child.
In X-linked recessive disorders are conditions which are coded on the X
chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes, but males have one X chromosome
and one Y chromosome. Therefore, in females, disease traits on the X
chromosome can be masked by the normal gene on the other X chromosome. Since
males only have one X chromosome, if they inherit a gene for a disease
present on the X, it will be expressed. Men with X-linked disorders transmit
the gene to all their daughters, who are carriers, but never to their sons.
Women who are carriers of an X-linked disorder have a fifty percent risk of
transmitting the carrier condition to their daughters, and a fifty percent
risk of transmitting the disease to their sons.
Affected Population
Pallister-W Syndrome is a very rare disorder. It affects males and females
in equal numbers. However, males are more severely affected than females.
Related Disorders
Symptoms of the following disorders can be similar to those of Pallister-W
Syndrome. Comparisons may be useful for a differential diagnosis:
Oto-Palato-Digital Syndrome, Types I and II, characteristically affect
males more severely than females. Clefting of the palate, slanting of the
eyes, abnormalities of the face, fingers and toes, and speech problems occur.
(For more information on this disorder, choose "Oto-Palato-Digital" as your
search term in the Rare Disease Database).
Frontometaphyseal Dysplasia is a rare genetic disorder characterized by
coarse facial features that include a wide nasal bridge, widely spaced eyes,
overgrowth of the bone over the eyes, a small jawbone and incomplete
development of the sinuses. Multiple deformities of the teeth and bones may
also be present. Occasionally mental retardation may occur.
Larsen Syndrome is a multi-system genetic disorder that is present at
birth. It is characterized by multiple bone dislocations and abnormalities,
an extremely high arch of the foot, non-tapering cylindrically shaped
fingers, and an unusual facial appearance. In some cases short stature,
heart problems, cleft palate or lips, deafness and/or mental retardation may
occur. This disorder is inherited through an autosomal dominant or recessive
trait. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Larsen" as your
search term in the Rare Disease Database).
Oro-Facial-Digital Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder in which there
have been four types identified. Symptoms common to all types include
episodes of neuromuscular disturbances, split tongue, splits in the jaw,
midline cleft lip, overgrowth of the membrane that supports the tongue, a
broad based nose, vertical folds of the skin covering the inner angle where
the eyelids meet (epicanthic folds), more than the normal number of fingers
and/or toes, shorter than normal fingers and/or toes, and more than the
normal number of divisions between skull sections. (For more information on
this disorder, choose "Oro-Facial-Digital" as your search term in the Rare
Disease Database).
Therapies: Standard
Treatment of Pallister-W Syndrome may consist of surgery to repair the
clefting of the palate and lip. Anti-seizure medication may be prescribed to
control seizures, and surgery to repair deformities of the arms and legs may
also be necessary. Special education and related services will be helpful in
school, and speech therapy may be required after surgical repair of the cleft
palate.
Genetic counseling may be of benefit for patients and their families.
Other treatment is symptomatic and supportive.
Therapies: Investigational
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is sponsoring the Human Genome
Project which is aimed at mapping every gene in the human body and learning
why they sometimes malfunction. It is hoped that this new knowledge will
lead to prevention and treatment of birth defects in the future.
This disease entry is based upon medical information available through
March 1992. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to keep
every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and accurate.
Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for the most
current information about this disorder.
Resources
For more information on Pallister-W Syndrome, please contact"
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
P.O. Box 8923
New Fairfield, CT 06812-1783
(203) 746-6518
NIH/National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20892
(301) 496-5133
Forward Face
560 First Ave.
New York, NY 10016
(212) 263-5205
(800) 422-FACE
National Craniofacial Foundation
3100 Carlisle Street, Suite 215
Dallas, TX 75204
(800) 535-3643
Let's Face It
Box 711
Concord, MA 01742
(508) 371-3186
National Association for the Craniofacially Handicapped
P.O. Box 11082
Chattanooga, TN 37401
(615) 266-1632
American Cleft Palate Cranial Facial Association
1218 Granview Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15211
(412) 681-1376
(800) 24CLEFT
National Foundation for Facial Reconstruction
550 First Ave.
New York, NY 11016
(212) 340-6656
For genetic information and genetic counseling referrals, please contact:
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
(914) 428-7100
Alliance of Genetic Support Groups
35 Wisconsin Circle, Suite 440
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
(800) 336-GENE
(301) 652-5553
References
MENDELIAN INHERITANCE IN MAN, 9th Ed.: Victor A. McKusick, Editor: Johns
Hopkins University Press, 1990. Pp. 1703.
BIRTH DEFECTS ENCYCLOPEDIA, Mary Louise Buyse, M.D., Editor-In-Chief;
Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1990. Pp. 1354-55.