Cleft-palate lateral synechia syndrome: insight into the phenotypic spectrum of Fryns syndrome?
BACKGROUND
In 1972, Fuhrmann et al. (Humangenetik 1972;14:196-203) described a novel syndrome consisting of cleft palate (CP) and lateral synechiae (LS) between the palate and the floor of the mouth. This constellation of malformations, since denoted as cleft-palate lateral synechiae syndrome (CPLS), is a rare syndrome; only five cases have been reported since the original description. Because of the paucity of recognized cases, little is known regarding the phenotypic spectrum of this presumably autosomal dominant condition.


METHODS
We report two unrelated patients who presented with remarkably similar phenotypic features, including multiple intraoral synechiae (filiforme intraalveolar bands), cleft palate, micrognathia, and redundant lower lip tissue. Their phenotypic findings indicate a diagnosis of CPLS; however, case 3 (the monozygotic twin of case 2) had classic phenotypic features of Fryns syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
This report presents two new cases of CPLS, and suggests that the CPLS phenotype may represent the mild end of the Fryns syndrome phenotypic spectrum. Supplementary material for this article can be found on the Birth Defects Research (Part A) website (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/ jpages/1542-0752/suppmat/67/fig5.xls).
Jaeger
April
A
University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, USA.
Kapur
Raj
R
Whelan
Michael
M
Leung
Eric
E
Cunningham
Michael
M
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000002:abnormalities; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D004200:Diseases in Twins; D005145:Face / Q000002:abnormalities; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018598:Minisatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D009056:Mouth Abnormalities / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013577:Syndrome; D000267:Tissue Adhesions / Q000151:congenital / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics
D004247:DNA