Carolina Isabel Galaz-Montoya1, Constanza García-Delgado1, Alicia Cervantes-Peredo2, Leticia García-Morales3, Verónica Fabiola Morán-Barroso4. 1. Departamento de Genética, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, México D.F., México. 2. Servicio de Genética, Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga, México D.F., México; Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México. 3. Departamento de Endocrinología, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, México D.F., México. 4. Departamento de Genética, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, México D.F., México. Electronic address: vfmoran@himfg.edu.mx.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients with Silver-Russell syndrome suffer from severe intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, relative macrocephaly and body asymmetry, among other characteristics. It is caused by several genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in 11p15.5 in 40% of the cases and maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 in 10%. METHODS: Twenty patients with a diagnosis of Silver-Russell syndrome who were seen at the HIMFG from 1998 to 2012, were evaluated according to international clinical criteria confirming the diagnosis in nine of the subjects. RESULTS: All patients showed intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation and short stature, both considered as major criteria of Silver-Russell syndrome. Relative macrocephaly was present in 78% of the patients and asymmetry in 33%. Other characteristics such as renal tubular acidosis were present > 50% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical diagnosis of Silver-Russell syndrome is complex. Short stature is the main reason for seeking medical attention and is helpful in the identification of a differential diagnosis. This situation underlines the importance of growth and development evaluation of all patients and particularly in those with short stature to identify those cases that may require molecular studies, with implications in management, prognosis and genetic counseling.
BACKGROUND:Patients with Silver-Russell syndrome suffer from severe intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, relative macrocephaly and body asymmetry, among other characteristics. It is caused by several genetic and epigenetic mechanisms in 11p15.5 in 40% of the cases and maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 in 10%. METHODS: Twenty patients with a diagnosis of Silver-Russell syndrome who were seen at the HIMFG from 1998 to 2012, were evaluated according to international clinical criteria confirming the diagnosis in nine of the subjects. RESULTS: All patients showed intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation and short stature, both considered as major criteria of Silver-Russell syndrome. Relative macrocephaly was present in 78% of the patients and asymmetry in 33%. Other characteristics such as renal tubular acidosis were present > 50% of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical diagnosis of Silver-Russell syndrome is complex. Short stature is the main reason for seeking medical attention and is helpful in the identification of a differential diagnosis. This situation underlines the importance of growth and development evaluation of all patients and particularly in those with short stature to identify those cases that may require molecular studies, with implications in management, prognosis and genetic counseling.