Echocardiographic findings in patients with Williams-Beuren syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Williams-Beuren syndrome is a multisystem developmental disorder caused by a microdeletion at chromosome 7q11.23. In its classic form it includes dysmorphic facial features, joint contractures, retardation of growth and mental development, gregarious personality, visuospatial cognitive deficits, hypercalcemia, primary or secondary hypertension and cardiovascular disorders.


OBJECTIVE
Clinical diagnosis of Williams-Beuren syndrome can be a challenge in young patients if none of the characteristic cardiovascular features, i.e. supravalvular aortic stenosis or pulmonary artery stenosis, are present. Our aim was to demonstrate the changes in cardiovascular lesions during the postnatal development of Williams-Beuren patients and to follow all cardiovascular findings beyond the most common ones.


METHODS
The cardiovascular status of 29 patients with Williams-Beuren syndrome (mean age 12.8 years) was recorded in correlation with age.


RESULTS
Cardiovascular diagnoses changed in the majority (72.4%) of patients. Interestingly, 44.8% of the patients had periods with no reported cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, 65.5% of the patients experienced periods when none of the typical cardiovascular lesions, i.e. diffuse or localized supravalvular aortic stenosis and/or pulmonary artery stenosis, were detected. Spontaneous regression and progression of both supravalvular aortic stenosis and pulmonary artery stenosis were observed. An unexpectedly high frequency (41%) of mitral valve disorders was found.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study showed that temporary absence of and changes in cardiovascular findings are frequent in Williams-Beuren syndrome. These results could contribute to the refinement of diagnostic criteria and recommendations for cardiovascular follow-up of patients with this syndrome.
Scheiber
Dora
D
Semmelweis Medical School, Budapest, Hungary.
Fekete
Gyorgy
G
Urban
Zoltan
Z
Tarjan
Ildiko
I
Balaton
Gergely
G
Kosa
Lajos
L
Nagy
Katalin
K
Vajo
Zoltan
Z
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001017:Aortic Coarctation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018450:Disease Progression; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008945:Mitral Valve Prolapse / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D013997:Time Factors; D018980:Williams Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics