Scoliosis in cat cry syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Cat cry syndrome is an autosomal disease accompanying abnormal deletion of chromosome 5 and occurs in only 1 of 50,000 neonates. Scoliosis has been reported as a skeletal complication in cat cry syndrome. The characteristics and causes of scoliosis in this rare syndrome are unknown. The purpose of this study was to present the characteristics of scoliosis in cat cry syndrome and to speculate on its causative mechanisms.


METHODS
We report on 11 cases (5 boys and 6 girls) of cat cry syndrome. Detailed investigations of scoliosis, as well as physical and imaging examinations, were performed to characterize scoliosis and its causes. Average age at initial diagnosis of scoliosis was 4.3 years, and average age at final examination was 11.8 years.


RESULTS
The incidence of scoliosis was as high as 73% (8/11). Most cases show a single right thoracic curve. Of the 8 patients with scoliosis, 3 patients who had increased muscular tone showed marked progression of scoliosis with growth.


CONCLUSIONS
Muscular hypertonia may play a key role in the progression of scoliosis in cat cry syndrome.
Takebayashi
Tsuneo
T
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8543, Japan.
Obata
Hiroyuki
H
Minaki
Yasuhiko
Y
Sekine
Masatoshi
M
Imoto
Kenshi
K
Yokogushi
Kazutoshi
K
Yamashita
Toshihiko
T
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003410:Cri-du-Chat Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology