Megalourethra: A report of three cases associated with maternal diabetes and a review of the literature--is sonic hedgehog the common pathway?
The mechanisms by which maternal diabetes causes malformations in the offspring have yet to be elucidated. The purpose of this report is twofold: first, to describe three male infants born with multiple congenital anomalies and megalourethra, a defect which has not been previously reported in infants of women with diabetes; and second, to indicate that the defects seen in association with megalourethra in these three infants are similar to those seen as a consequence of abnormalities in sonic hedgehog, suggesting that maternal diabetes may affect sonic hedgehog expression in susceptible tissues during critical stages of development.
Vaux
Keith K
KK
Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Jones
Marilyn C
MC
Benirschke
Kurt
K
Bird
Lynne M
LM
Jones
Kenneth L
KL
D000328:Adult; D016640:Diabetes, Gestational / Q000150:complications*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000002:abnormalities; D010413:Penis / Q000002:abnormalities; D011247:Pregnancy; D014521:Urethra / Q000002:abnormalities*