Heart-hand syndrome. III. A new syndrome in three generations.

We have studied members of three generations of the same family affected by brachydactyly, which is accompanied by intraventricular conduction defects in three cases (proband's father and two of his sons) and sick sinus syndrome in the proband. The brachydactyly described affects mainly the middle phalanges of both hands; the index and fifth fingers are more severely affected than the other fingers. It also includes a rare variant with an ossicle on the proximal phalanx of both index fingers, which reduces them in length and causes them to deviate towards the ulnar border of the hand. The feet also tend to be affected, but to a lesser degree. No other pathological findings were recorded. It is therefore suggested that the anomalies detected in this family are transmitted by an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance, thus forming a syndrome.